Elementary Assistant Principal: Job Description and Requirements

Elementary school assistant principals are educational administrators who establish and enforce policies and procedures within the primary grade school system. Competent administrative expertise, strong leadership qualities, and well-developed interpersonal skills are just a few of the abilities a successful elementary school assistant principal must master.

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Job Description

Assistant principals are an integral part of the administrative staff of elementary schools, along with principals, counselors, teachers, librarians and other support staff. Usually assigned to supervise the day-to-day execution of tasks needed to keep an elementary school running smoothly, assistant principals also develop academic programs, hire and train faculty, and attend to executive chores such as budgeting and recordkeeping. Assistant principals also maintain relationships with parents and students, and may represent the school at community and civic events.

Some routine tasks that an elementary school assistant principal could encounter during the course of a school day might be:

Enforcing disciplinary policy
Classroom observation
Collaboration with faculty on performance objectives
Leading a professional development activity
Ordering textbooks
Setting class schedules

Requirements

The U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that public school elementary assistant principals usually have had some teaching experience and almost all have at least a master's degree in education (www.bls.gov).

Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education

There are many 4-year baccalaureate programs in education that offer special emphasis in elementary education. These programs prepare future educators and administrators for the particular needs of students from kindergarten through sixth to eighth grades. Graduates of these programs are well-versed in the psychosocial and learning environment needs of the young student population.

An aspiring elementary school administrator could expect to take courses in:

Developmental psychology in school-aged children
Teaching mathematics, social science and language arts
Classroom management
Elementary school organizational structure

Once all coursework has been completed, students must complete one semester of supervised student teaching prior to graduation.

Master of Science in Educational Administration

Prospective assistant elementary school principals must also complete a graduate degree in education. A Master of Science in Educational Administration (M.S.Ed.) degree prepares an applicant for an assistant elementary principal position. Designed for educators who want to move into leadership roles, this graduate degree program is usually six semesters long and strives to create ethical, competent and articulate administrators.

Students in a graduate program in educational administration could expect to study topics in:

Administration and supervision in elementary schools
School finance and facilities
Federal and state public policy
Instructional leadership

State Licensure

According to the BLS, nearly all states require elementary assistant principals to hold state licensure (www.bls.gov). Some states require principals to sit for an exam, and some merely require demonstration of a graduate degree. Renewal of licensure may be required as well; check individual state requirements for details. Private schools are not subject to state requirements on licensing.

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