The Importance of Principals to Schools

Mary E. Streshly possesses over 30 years of experience in the education sector. Over the years, Mary Streshly’s roles have included executive director of educational services, assistant principal, chief academic officer, and high school principal.

Principals oversee all aspects of the school experience and supervise the activities of the teachers, non-teaching staff, and students. On the academic front, principals are responsible for hiring skillful teachers to pass onto students a quality education that meets the standards set by the state government. Principals must also carry out periodic assessments of their schools’ teachers and make decisions about teachers’ teaching techniques.

Principals must also ensure that teachers undergo training and attend conferences that help to develop their professional skills and keep them up to date on teaching practices. This has trickle-down effect, as students of the school benefit from the new skills of their teachers, which helps improve academic quality throughout the student body.

Principals also perform administrative tasks, including managing a school’s budget and formulating and revising school policies. In addition, they are often involved in extracurricular activities, such as games played by school teams, school plays, parent-teacher conferences, and school board meetings.