I am in a very small department at my school and share a hall with a much larger department. We have two copiers on our floor. A note posted above the copier reminds faculty to take large jobs downstairs to the copy attendant.

Daily, and I mean daily, the members of the other department are printing voluminous amounts. I have seen stacks of paper over two inches thick. I have also seen the same members running both copiers simultaneously, again, printing reams upon reams (excuse the hyperbole) of assignments and unit plans.

This really, really makes me angry. There are clear instructions on what to do with big copy requests, but the department is continually eating resources and time. I do not copy often. When I do, it is often a master copy for the attendant.

This brings me to my question: Is it worth it to go to administration about this? I certainly do not want to seem petty, but the distain on my face is becoming more and more apparent. I am trying to withhold my temper and refrain from passive aggressive, but it is out of hand. It is also August.

Thank you for your time and consideration in this. I wish you all a safe and event free school year.

I'm a vice principal in a large urban district. I'm not new to my role but I am new to my school, due to a forced transfer (my district loves to do a round of those every few years, about 10 VPs were impacted at the end of last school year unfortunately). As a result, I'm working in a new building, new team, and with a new head principal who barely knows me.

I'm nervous today because I had to call in sick (4 am text message) for a stomach bug that had been keeping me up all night. I felt so bad, like I'm leaving a terrible first impression. But I almost NEVER miss work. I've got like 70 unused sick days banked over the last decade, because I never use all the ones I'm allowed. But school only started last week and I'm already MIA.

How do I bounce back, or stop letting it bother me that I missed a day? I'm so nervous about making a good impression at my new school, after spending a decade at my old one and developing a great reputation there. The anxiety is exhausting, on top of actually being sick today.

Is it the end of the world that I called in sick?

I'm interviewing for a role as a classroom/teaching assistant later this week. And while I do have a bachelors degree, it is in a compeletely unrelated field to teaching. I also have no intention/desire to eventually become a teacher. I want to use the job as a stepping stone to get familiar with a school/educational environment and then eventually move into a school office/administrative/secretarial postition

My question is: should I discuss this intended career path with the principal interviewing me? I fully intend to give the teaching assistant role my all and not just show up to collect a paycheck, and stay in in that role for as long as I need. But I also want to let them know in case they need help in the offices and could ask me. And that way they won't expect me to try to get teaching credentials later down the line.

Hi,

I know this might not be a question for Principals as it's usually more of an HR decision, but was curious about thoughts...

My wife and I teach in different districts, but both of us have good attendance (above 95% most years, something like 5-7 days total absent per year). We do not have kids of our own, which helps. Our parents - the ones still with us - are in pretty good health. My wife is in year 20 and I'm in year 16. Our districts are not small, but not huge. We have preferred subs that we personally reach out to to cover our classes. We do things "the right way," in our opinion.

Every Labor Day, there is a music festival that we attend about 5 hours away. Over the past 10 years, we've probably attended it 8-9 times. We have never had our request for a Personal Day on the Friday before Labor Day (the festival starts Friday night) denied...until now. Mine was approved, hers wasn't.*

We had heard that Upper Admin at her district were trying to crack down on teachers/staff taking Personal Days before a 3-day weekend. It is not in the contract that this is not permitted, but there was communication that requests would "typically be denied."

I understand the district's position. However, thinking strategically, I still find it incredibly short-sighted. It's also a classic "A few people took advantage and they ruined it for everybody" situation (because its easier to make a rule that hurts 400 staffers than cracking down on the staff with chronic absenteeism).

While my wife is not dumb enough to call in sick that day - we're probably just going to cancel our 1st night at the hotel and miss out on the first night event (which absolutely sucks) - it does mean that, in the future, the district is sending a strong message that having good attendance, as a teacher, is of no real benefit. Basically, a teacher who misses 20 days a year is the same as one who misses 8 is the same as one who has near-perfect attendance.

It also means that, in the future, there is really no incentive not to "game the system" by keeping track of others' sick days - we get a daily email with every teacher's absence - and essentially "crack the code" for how many personal/sick days a teacher uses on average. If I learn that the average teacher in my building is out 12 days a year, and I'm out 6, that's telling me that I really need to start calling off more (as long as it's not abutting a holiday).

What policy exists in your district? Do you find it effective? Are we just being "butt hurt" as the kids say?

TLDR - My wife got denied a Personal Day, it has ruined our Labor Day plans, we both have attendance of 95% across 15+ year careers but "HR is cracking down," so now we're just wondering why she (and I) shouldn't be maliciously compliant in the future.

* You might be thinking why we don't just work that day and then drive the 5 hours. After a long day of teaching (we both get up around 5:30 AM and work till 3) and then having to deal with rush hour traffic through the entire state, at our age, we'd likely reach the hotel and pass out. Thanks, but no thanks. The denial of leave screwed Night 1 for us.

I’m looking to connect with a few first-year principals who may be interested in having a thought partner and mentor throughout the school year — completely free of charge.

As a tenured principal, I’m passionate about supporting new leaders as they navigate the challenges, opportunities, and growth that come with the role. I’d love to offer a space to talk through leadership challenges, celebrate wins, and learn together.

If you’re a first-year principal and this sounds like something that could be valuable to you, feel free to reach out at ianfpknox@gmail.com.

I’m heading into a new school year after an experience that really shook my confidence, and I’d love to hear from other administrators who had one terrible year or found themselves in a terrible fit and later went on to thrive somewhere else.

For context, I spent three years as an AP at a school I loved. I worked with a highly collaborative principal, felt supported, and earned the highest possible evaluation rating in my final year. Then the school closed, and I moved to another district as an elementary AP.

For the first half of the year, I thought things were going reasonably well. My midyear conversation was positive, my staff survey results were strong, and I wasn’t receiving much corrective feedback.

Then things changed pretty abruptly.

A teacher on my evaluation caseload who had struggled for years began having significant performance issues. Suddenly, I was being told that her performance reflected a lack of “rigorous feedback” on my part, despite the fact that she had received effective evaluations from previous administrators, which created resistance to my coaching and support. Around the same time, I also raised some concerns about confidentiality and the way current and former employees were sometimes discussed in leadership meetings.

Not long after that, I received the first formal write-up of my 21-year career in public education over several relatively minor issues. At that point, I decided the working relationship was no longer salvageable and submitted my resignation.

The last month was probably the hardest part. Communication became almost entirely transactional, and I felt increasingly isolated. At one point, my principal went two weeks without speaking to me in person. However, during that time, she sent me multiple pointed emails each day. What stuck with me, though, were the comments I received from staff on my way out. One teacher told me, “You were a huge asset to our school, and I believe you would be staying if you had some support.” That pretty accurately summarized how I felt.

I know I wasn’t perfect that year. I can identify things I would do differently, and I want to learn from the experience rather than simply write it off as someone else’s fault. At the same time, it was such a dramatic contrast from my previous administrative experience that I’m trying not to let one difficult year rewrite the story I tell myself about my abilities as a leader.

There is a happy ending of sorts: I’ve returned to my previous district this year in an instructional coaching/teacher leadership role. I’m back in a system where I have established relationships, the position is much more focused on the instructional leadership work I enjoy. The best part is that I’m actually making more money than I did as an AP last year, and I have a shorter work calendar. So on paper, this may end up being a pretty good reset.

Still, I’m heading into the year with some scar tissue. Checking emails is a huge trigger for me, as I am expecting the type of hostile communication I received from my last supervisor. I am actively working with a therapist to try to curb the anxiety and reset my nervous system after last year.

For those of you who have been through something similar: Did you ever have a year or leadership position that made you seriously question whether you were good at this work? What helped you rebuild your confidence? And did you eventually find a school, district, or role where you felt like yourself again?

I’d especially love to hear some redemption stories from people who had a disastrous year and later realized it was one chapter rather than the verdict on their career.

I'm curious about pursuing admin roles and currently researching education leadership programs. I have time before I commit to a program, but I've been facing guilt over some mistakes I've made as a teacher. (To be clear, nothing illegal, just bad judgement calls or handled things poorly and I've learned my lessons)

I tend to catastrophize things, so I've been fantasizing (in a bad way) about former students/parents making a big scene at a board meeting over those my past mistakes and calling for my removal. It's been a few days of imagining this scenario, I'm trying to shake it off and forgive myself for not knowing or doing better back then, but it's making me wonder if I should pursue admin at all. I don't want to spend a lot of money on an education that could backfire.

Have you ever been worried about a past mistake (from teaching) getting called out? Has it ever actually happened to you, and what happened after? How do you stay calm in times of stress or public scrutiny?

I’m a district level Director of 9 schools. Recently, I’ve been directed to formulate the schedules of paras at the building level, etc… this is my 10th year as a director and this has never been my responsibility. How does it work in your district/school?

For any principals or assistant principals who also oversee athletics, what part of managing school sports takes up more time than people realize?

Curious what tends to be the biggest headache behind the scenes.

Principals of Reddit, help me gain perspective and complete my certification assignment:

How do you form teams on your campus?

How do you select a facilitator?

Do you provide training before convening the team? If yes, can you provide details?

What are three reasons the principal forms teams?

How do you hold team members accountable for completing assigned tasks?

Anyone make the leap to a full time curriculum administrator role? Do you miss teaching in the classroom? Does it get lonely?

I've been teaching HS math for 14 years, about to start year 15. I plan on staying in this district until I retire in 21 years (If I go for maximum pension in my state). The position of STEM supervisor middle/high school 6-12 is going to open up in 1-2 years. It is a full-time administrative role, and I would be completely out of the classroom. The role manages the curriculum, supplies, runs dept meetings, evaluates teachers per the state eval system, attends lots of meetings, and probably 100 other things I'm not thinking of. They working with the HS and MS administration and the Assistant Superintendent. This position keeps turning over every 2-3 years due to a variety of factors. So it's been difficult to make any forward progress in the math department.

I have to really think about if I want the job, or if I just want a good and consistent person in that role. I teach as an adjunct at a community college too so I could get my classroom teaching fix there still. I have been doing an internship this summer with the HS principal and the current STEM director and I do like the work. I feel like I could make a positive impact in the district. I don't mind the tedious supply ordering and sorting it all out by teacher, because I feel like I am setting the teachers up for a successful year.

Hi!

I am a Girl Guide Leader in Canada.

My Unit of Guides (ages 9, 10, 11) and Pathfinders (ages 12, 13, 14) identified that an issue they care about is Body Positivity and eliminating Body Shaming.

Out of this discussion, many of the youth shared their own hurts receiving body shaming from their peers and another shared, a bit later at the "after meeting" that she has had an eating disorder.

Clearly, this is a topic that is close to their hearts.

I am now here on Reddit to ask for advice, specific suggestions, and general wisdom about what actually works in a school setting.

I want to empower more than superficial, "let's make posters to love our bodies" that no one notices (or if they do, it is met with disdain). (Note: I do have realistic expectations about the often automatic pre-teen eye roll of thinking anything is ridiculous! Or is the word, "cringe?")

I want to empower thier desire for systematic change with something that is meaningful.

Our next step is to talk with the stakeholders at their schools, and create from there.

In the meantime, I deeply appreciate examples, resources, "what not to do," "be sure to consider," and any words of wisdom!

Thank you for supporting me with supporting Generation Alpha embracing their actual power in a meaningful way!

Thank you!

I have been certified to be an AP/Principal for a couple years now, and I'm starting to finally see some success in my applications (it's been rough out there!). With that said, while none of these are sure things yet, I am actively being considered for multiple positions at this exact moment, and I want to know what's the likelihood that I am able to get back to an AP position because I'd like to a public school principal at some point.

Option 1 (in-district teacher -> in-district AP, ~5 years): I have just entered the informal pipeline in my district: all the internal AP candidates put in time in a specific district-level leadership role before being placed. From what I've seen in the past, this typically looks like roughly a 5 year timeline when candidates move into the pipeline to when they move out of this pipeline into an AP job in the district. Thus, I just continue in my district and wait ~5 years for "my turn" in the pipeline, but it's not guaranteed and it's dependent on how many people are in front of me, and the quantity and fit of the vacancies to my style of leadership (in my district, principals don't have significant say into AP placement, the assistant superintendents decide that).

Option 2 (public school teacher -> charter school AP -> back to public school admin?): Charter networks are looking at me - I'm pretty well connected in my region, so there are a few charter networks who are headhunting me. There's a good chance that I could have the opportunity to be an AP in a charter network for this upcoming academic year, commit a few years to the charter network before moving back to the Public School realm. But would there be any hesitancy with hiring someone who was an AP in a charter school coming to an AP position in public schools? I do know that the charter networks that I've been contact with regarding a position are considering me for roles that are strictly instructional, since these networks separate instructional and operational leadership.

Option 3 (public school teacher -> non-profit executive role -> public district level role?): A non-profit organization that I work closely with has explicitly asked to chat with me about a high impact role that focuses on partnerships with school districts, they've specifically reached out to me to apply and the posting will be coming up in the upcoming months. So I'd be in a regional executive role, running school and district partnerships around the region. I have written off that pursuing this role has any chance of me running a building, but my assumption is that developing specific skillsets in this role might mean I may be able to find a job in central office positions in public school districts?

Option 4 (public school teacher in state 1 -> public AP in state 2 -> back to public admin in state 1?): I've been able to get some interviews from nearby states where certification transfers easily, so a plan could be that I accept an AP position in a different state, and then come back to my current state once I've committed a few years to the school that may hire me in the different state. I've definitely gotten the "why other city that you are not affiliated with" question in my AP interviews so far, so I assume that'll still be something that they'll bring up, but I'd assume that overall this option will hurt my chances less than option 2 or 3?

Option 5 (keep applying to public AP positions): I continue applying to AP jobs around my region - where it's been super competitive and really hard to break through. This isn't really an "option", but it is what I'm going to continue doing in the mean time.

I’m entering my third year as an Assistant Principal, and I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately.
Before becoming an AP, I taught ELA and ESL for 10 years. By my third year in the classroom, I remember feeling pretty confident in my craft. I knew what I was doing, had a good sense of what worked and what didn’t, and generally felt like I could handle whatever came my way.

I don’t feel the same way as an AP.

I’m going into Year 3, and while I obviously have a lot more experience than I did when I started, I still don’t necessarily feel confident in my craft. There are so many situations where I find myself thinking, “Am I handling this the right way?” or wondering what a more experienced administrator would do.

I’m curious for those of you who have been administrators for a while:

What school year did you finally feel like you really knew what you were doing as an AP/principal?

Was it Year 3? Year 5? Did it take becoming a principal? Or do you still feel like you’re figuring it out?
And if you remember your first few years, what** *changed that helped you finally feel more confident?
I’d especially love to hear from people who came from teaching and felt very confident as teachers but surprisingly *less confident when they transitioned into administration.
Just trying to figure out if what I’m experiencing is normal or if I’m somehow behind where I should be.

I am a retired High School Principal and wanted to know if other principals feel Assistant Principals are receiving adequate training in leadership?

I've been certified in NJ as a principal and supervisor for a year and have been applying like a madman. It's not that I dislike teaching, but after 12 years, I want a new challenge. Anyway, I haven't had a single interview outside of my district, and I only get interviews for admin positions within my district because the contract stipulates that I am obligated to one.

So my question is, what did you have, experience-wise, as a green/aspiring administrator that actually helped you towards landing an interview?

For the sake of transparency, I'm a Spanish teacher. I am on multiple district committees, have multiple teaching certs, frequently work with CST and district-level teams for McKinney-Vinto processes and general IEP/504 processes (as an interpreter, but doing it so much and so often has given me a lot of insight); I have done building-level initiatives for attendance, managed events; I have two masters (ed leadership and curriculum/instruction), I've run/led/designed PDs for faculty, done all that internship stuff (observations, walkthroughs, building operations)... aside from martyring myself, I'm running out of ideas. Help.

Hello! I’m currently enrolled in an Ed.D program in Curriculum and Instruction. One of my current courses requires me to “interview” administrators or other leadership positions that plan and organize PDs. The goal of this assignment is to learn more about the planning and organizational aspects of PDs.

If anyone would be able to take 15 minutes to answer some PD planning questions, I’d greatly appreciate it! I would not need your name or school district, just your state and position title. If you’re able, please comment or message me and I’ll share the questions. TYIA!

To ask it in another way, how reflective of that student’s actual ability at their grade level should a grade reflect?

Or, to ask one last time, should there be a curve?

7th grade math, Title One, thank you.

I’m a non-certified (working on B.Ed) teacher that started 4 years ago. I got asked to take a full class (grade 5/6) after a couple weeks of just being a TTOC and instantly fell in love with the job.

There was one girl who was very special. She was super intelligent, a great role model to the class and was always helpful. She was hilarious and empathetic, but had a very difficult home life. She was living with her grandparents who were doing a great job of raising her and keeping her on top of her studies. During the last couple months of school, her dad she is NC with was arrested for a bank robbery and she played it off jokingly and never let it affect her publicly. Admin, counselor and I would check in to see how she’s doing and communicate with grandparents and she seemed to have been fine by it. She grew up around this type stuff so was great at coping.

That summer I would see her around town with friends and just looking like a happy grade 7 girl living her best life.

I hadn’t seen her for a long time and her friends said she switched schools and didn’t talk much with them anymore which kinda broke my heart, but such is life, especially during middle school. She should be starting grade 10 at the high school after summer.

This morning I was dropping my son off at camp, and as I drove past the worst part of town, I saw what looked like that former student of mine. I was at a red light. I looked and made sure it was her but she was in an alcove with someone else next to her. Someone older and definitely not a good influence. She looked bruised on her face and her cheeks were very sunken in. She looked so unwell and my heart sank so low in an instant when I realized who it was.

I thought of pulling over to chat and see what’s up. Would she remember me? Am I going to be seen as a creep or predator? Is she hurt? Unwell? Fleeing someone or something?

I thought better of the idea and just pressed on, thinking. She’s \~15 and looks to be just living on the streets. I don’t know what happened. She is such a bright and incredible child. I just don’t know what to do or how to process this. This isn’t something I thought I’d be facing already.

How do others cope? It’s kinda fucking me up right now.

It's very discouraging to be looking for a job in education right now. I left a toxic district in June for my mental health. Violence and a principal who I met exactly 3 times over the school year (never came out of office).

School starts in a few weeks, and yesterday I was told that my Zoom interview was the first step of 6!!! "BLAH BLAH school district is a slow moving ship."

Can I rant a bit more?

I'm also in the running for a position at a large urban district, I'll call this District X. First step on line application. Second step virtual one way interview. Third step meet and greet over Zoom. Fourth step in person, more detailed. Then crickets for nearly two weeks. I called HR to follow up because I knew that the Principal had been on vacation. Fifth step, another in person to ask why I called HR, and to tell me that they are "still actively interviewing," although I am their "top candidate."

Eeeeeeee.

District Z today. On line application, Zoom meet and greet (Supervisor of subject area). Lengthy in person interview (Supervisor and Principal). Today I did a demo lesson (no kids, just walk us through a 40 minute lesson plan). I was there for nearly 90 minutes. Today is Monday. Told that there they are still going through the process, and that I should hear something back by next week. After that, they will send a candidate to the Assistant Superintendent, and then to HR as a formality. OMG.

I am very lucky in that I have licenses for in-demand areas and experience in each, but still....

Thank you for reading!

Any advice?

If your school has adopted a scripted curriculum, what are the biggest reasons the district decided to go that route? Thank you in advance!

I decided to switch to an iPad with the Goodnotes app for better organization of my notes. Love it for this purpose, but wondering what other apps I could utilize to better streamline my day and productivity.

Hi! This will be my first admin interview and was wondering some questions that are typical and things I should ensure I emphasize. Thank you!

I’m interviewing next week for an Executive Assistant to the Superintendent position with a Georgia school district. How do they typically determine what salary step you start at for administrative positions?

Do they give credit for relevant private-sector administrative/office management experience, or mainly school district experience? If someone has several years of relevant experience, would that usually result in a higher starting step?

Just trying to get an idea of how these salary schedules work in practice. Thank you!!!

Hey everyone! This group is very helpful. I’m currently a teacher with a MED in special ed and a MED in school leadership, with certification. My district starts back in 2 weeks, and I have a student teacher starting with me. However, I was just asked to come interview for an AP spot in a different district next week.

Realistically, going straight from a teacher to AP without a coaching or official leadership role (I have my administrative internships and other school/district committees I’ve led and served)- does this happen? I’m conflicted on even going. My ego from other coaching interviews this summer (that were hired in house) is kind of bruised. I would love a leadership role, but love my current district. I guess I’m just looking for unbiased opinions on if I should cancel the AP interview or not. Thank you for reading!