Principal - Welcome to The Dark Side

I was a principal at a small, rural middle-high school for four years, but that's been now about ten years ago.  I also have been on a school board.  This isn't Jay's time to toot his own horn; this is just sharing how I've been able to view principals from a variety of perspectives - teacher, coach, principal, and school board member.  And right now amidst the Covid 19 pandemic, being a principal is very challenging. 

Being a principal is rewarding, but it's also exhausting, and it's pretty much thankless.  And in most cases, it's "The Dark Side".  No one wants to be around Darth Vader, because Darth Vader has powers and expectations of performance, and he's perfectly willing to give consequences to his workers that don't perform.  Did you ever see Darth Vader on a date?  Did you ever see him smiling with a group of buddies having a favorite adult beverage at the local watering hole.  NO!  Because being Darth Vader isn't fun. 

The last time I was at school this past Monday (and perhaps the last time I'll return to the building for some time), I picked up my copy of Lincoln on Leadership - a book about the leadership qualities that President Lincoln possessed.  And this current school closure situation with the virus has brought to the forefront the leadership qualities needed by a principal in a moment of crisis.

True admission...I wouldn't want to be a principal right now.  While being a teacher isn't exactly easy, being a principal would be stressful.  There is the State Board of Education that has passed down it's expectations of remote learning, so school superintendents now are working with principals to make sure all of those expectations are being met.  The principals, in turn, must communicate and work with those expectations with teachers, who then are suppose to work with students.  Yikes!

But here's the deal...THE WORST THING about being a principal is the responsibility that comes with the job, and it's an isolating factor.  Principals have to hold themselves to a set of higher standards, and those standards are 24/7 all year long.  Do principals make more than teachers?  Yes.  Is the money worth it?  That's a great question that each individual has to make. For me, I never want to be a principal again.  I could, and I would do a good job and try my best.  And there would be times that would be rewarding.  Being being a principal, in my opinion, is a less fun life.  It's less free time; it's more stress; it's dealing with adults (which is much more challenging than dealing with students).

So thank you to all the principals, especially during these difficult times.  May the force be with you.