In the Speaking Out article published in the September/October issue of Principal magazine, author Tamera Moore, an assistant principal in North Carolina, raises concerns about the inconsistency of the assistant principal’s role from one school to another. “I believe establishing more uniformity among our positions, especially within the same district, would increase productivity and establish more consistent norms,” Moore writes.
Is this feasible given the differences between the needs of various schools? What are the specific responsibilities of the assistant principal in your school? It would be interesting to read your responses about how the role differs from school to school and state to state.
re: Ambiguity in the Assistant Principal’s Office
Having been a principal with assistants in inner-city, rural, and suburban districts I can say that some areas of responsibilities are common, but some are very different. In smaller, rural districts an AP may have many more duties as there may not be support services through the central administration or social services that are near. In inner-city settings the assistant may have duties that include areas like coordinating with social services and central administration as there is greater numbers of personnel. Each educational setting has its own unique needs.