Читать книгу The Assistant Principal 50 - Baruti K. Kafele - Страница 11

As I reflect on the inquiries I've received from APs over the years about the role of the AP, many of them are rooted in this question. A question I receive may be, for example, "Principal Kafele, I have so many ideas about how the school can be better for the children, but the principal is set in ways that are, in my mind, outdated. What can I do?" My answer to such a question is

As one of the administrative leaders of your school, you have the ear of your principal. It is crucial that you earn the trust of your principal. In other words, in addition to your work ethic, following directions effectively, demonstrating loyalty, and taking the initiative in those areas that fall within your "lane," you must have strong people skills. I repeat: You must have strong people skills! To convince your principal that your ideas will benefit your school, your people skills must be solid enough for you to be able to develop a cohesive bond/productive working relationship with your principal—which is absolutely crucial. How you communicate with your principal matters. You must make developing a strong relationship with your principal one of your top priorities within your overall leadership. You'll want to strive to develop an unbreakable trust between yourself and your principal so that you put the principal in a position to believe in you and the ideas that you bring to the table.

Regarding the question at hand—Do I understand that at the core of the assistant principalship is to assist the principal, not lead the school—I hear numerous concerns, complaints, and criticisms from APs about their principals. What the APs are essentially saying is that they can't get done the things that they'd like to get done because of what they describe as the ineffectiveness of their principal. This is a very delicate and sensitive situation to be in, particularly when there is a semblance of truth to it. As a starting point, my reminder to APs is

You are not the principal of the school! Again: You are not the principal! You are the Assistant Principal and the line between you and the principal can never get blurred. You are there to assist the principal, not lead the school. Your time to lead your own school as principal (should you wish to do so) will come. In the meantime, as the Assistant Principal, your job is to learn, grow, develop as a school leader, and assist the principal in all ways possible.

All principal–assistant principal relationships are different. In an ideal principal–assistant principal relationship, as an AP, you are given the latitude and flexibility to grow and all of your ideas and suggestions for change and improvement are welcomed. However, not all principal–assistant principal relationships are ideal. Some can be quite complex, difficult, or even toxic. (We will dig much deeper into the principal–assistant principal dynamic in Chapter 3.) For now, the point of this question is to remind you to always keep at the forefront of your mind that, despite the challenges you may face in a less-than-favorable relationship with your principal, you are not the leader of the school. Your job is to assist the principal. You are the Assistant Principal.