Principal (school)

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For other uses, see Principal.

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A principal is generally the chief administrator of an elementary school, middle school, or high school. In 1999 there were about 129,000 principals in the United States. [1]

In many Australian schools, a principal is the head administrator of a school who has been appointed to his position by the school board, superintendent, or other body. The principal, often in conjunction with the school board, makes the executive decisions that govern the school, as well as having the authority over the employment (and in some cases firing) of teachers. The principal is often the chief disciplinarian of the students. In many US schools, however, student discipline is the vice-principal's responsibility, and broader school decisions are the duty of the principal.

In larger schools the principal is assisted by one or more vice-principals, assistant principals, or deputy principals. Their position is secondary to the principal with regard to school governance. Assistant principals generally perform specific duties such as handling student discipline or curriculum, whereas the principal has the ultimate responsibility for the school as a whole.

Books and documents relating to the early days of public education show that the title was originally Principal Teacher, which was somewhat more in keeping with the Head Teacher title sometimes used in England.