Charles S. Hausman

The worklife of the assistant principal

Literature and research have substantiated a noticeable trend in the recognition of the important role the assistant principal plays in schools. Despite this awareness, the knowledge base remains inadequate to meet the needs in understanding this vital role in educational administration. Given this void, this article reviews literature on multiple dimensions of the worklives of assistant principals and analyzes survey data from 125 assistant principals in Maine to ascertain how assistant principals allocate their time, at what roles and activities they feel successful, and the relationship between perceived success and quality of worklife ratings. The findings highlight the importance of understanding functions of the role and adequate teaching experience before assuming the role. They also raise concerns about the minimal amount of time assistant principals allocate to instructional leadership and professional development, and the extent to which serving as an assistant principal prepares one for the principalship.

Portrait of the “Ideal Principal”: Context and Self

An idealized view of the principals role ignores both the importance that context plays and the unique and dynamic quality of individual principals. Yet, there are three things that good principals do: understand the context, understand themselves, and focus on what is best for students. This article identifies the major community, school, and reform contexts in which principals work and discusses components of self-understanding that are important to enacting the role in a reform setting.

Principal role in magnet schools: transformed or entrenched?

Although school choice programs are expected to alter the traditional roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders involved in the education of children, empirical evidence on differences between principals in schools of choice and traditional schools is scant. Relying primarily on the theoretical frameworks posited by Kerchner and Crow, this study compares self‐reported survey data from principals of magnet schools (i.e. schools of choice) to principals of nonmagnet schools (i.e. traditional neighborhood schools) to ascertain how the principal’s role may differ in choice environments. Despite the predictions of market theorists, collectively, the findings from this study suggest that magnet schools do little, if anything, to alter the role of the principal. Specifically, no significant differences were found in the extent to which the principals of these school types served as entrepreneurial leaders, middle managers, or instructional leaders. Potential explanations for the lack of differences in role are provided.

What Makes Principals Feel Successful

The question, “Who feels successful as a principal?” and its partner, “What makes some principals feel more successful than others?” beg for answers. This study of 434 Maine school principals provides a prime opportunity to examine the questions.