Post: Should my principal be doing this?
    Posted by: newadministrator on 8/11/16
    () Comments

    I am a new, low-level administrator at an overseas school. I am
    testing for my
    principal license in October and hope to have my principal
    license shortly after (I
    have completed all other requirements).

    I've noticed that my principal, in one-on-one conversations (with
    me present), will
    pass blame to the Board of Directors or owner of the school if
    she is confronted
    with a difficult question.

    For example, a teacher questioned an English only policy that
    the board enacted.
    This policy was made because parents complained that their
    children were not
    speaking enough English at school. The teacher (rightly, in my
    opinion) questioned
    why students couldn't speak in their own language when trying
    to understand new
    concepts. The principal responded with "The board made that
    decision, so it's
    beyond my control."

    From what I've been learning and studying, the principal should
    instead accept the
    policy as something that he helped create so that the teacher
    doesn't look at the
    board as it is just some evil entity that's making policies. In
    other words, the
    principal should present a case against the policy to the board,
    but ultimately back
    it 100% if they lose their argument.

    I understand that it's difficult to accept a decision as your own
    when you disagree
    with it, but I also think that the principal's actions can be
    dangerous. Please help
    me understand whether I am correct or not as I want to learn
    how to be an
    effective leader.


    Posts on this thread, including this one

  • Should my principal be doing this?, 8/11/16, by newadministrator.
  • Re: Should my principal be doing this?, 8/12/16, by elsiev.
  • Re: Should my principal be doing this?, 8/14/16, by sure.
  • Re: Should my principal be doing this?, 8/14/16, by one more comment (from Sure).
  • Re: Should my principal be doing this?, 8/26/16, by newadministrator.