School Administrator Interview Essay

Over the course of my seven years teaching high school social studies, I have had the opportunity to learn about the evolving roles and responsibilities of a school administrator from three amazing principals. Henry Kluttz, Kelly Withers, and Angelo DelliSanti have been excellent models for anyone aspiring to be an administrator. Having recently started my own journey towards this leadership role, my knowledge of what makes a great principal has grown exponentially. Having the opportunity to interview a pair of veteran elementary school principals through this assignment has been an eye-opening experience. Having spent the entirety of my teaching career at the high school level has left me with a limited understanding of how an elementary school functions. Both principal A and B openly shared their knowledge of the intricacies of running an elementary school, and the importance of having a strong school improvement plan that pushes their students and staff towards …show more content…
Principal A leads a school of 586 students, grades K-4; compared to 411 students, grades K-5, for Principal B. Both schools qualify as Title 1 schools, having a large percentage of their student populations living in poverty. Principal A faces a 65% poverty rate, while Principal B must account for a 60% poverty rate. While they share similar poverty rates, the ethnic backgrounds of the students at both schools are very different. Principal A impacts a student population that is 42% white, 23% black, 10% Hispanic, 2% multi-racial, and 1% Asian in a town with a suburban population of 24,231 people. Principal B empowers and influences a student population that is 88% white, 8% Hispanic, 2% multi-racial, 1% other, and 1% black in a rural town of 2,664 people. School A has 57 employees, 41 of which are full-time teachers. School B has 25 full-time certified teachers of their 42 school