My Dream Job: a High School Principal - Essay Example

?My Dream Job – A High School Principal “Those who know, do. Those that understand, teach” said Aristotle. Teaching is my passion. My dream job is tobecome the principal of the Wellesley High School, Massachusetts, the school in which I studied. Born into a family of highly educated people, teaching had always attracted me ever since my childhood. Be it a presentation, a seminar or a speech in the assembly, I will volunteer before others as I love to share my knowledge with others. I recognized my passion for teaching at a very young age. First, I decided to empower myself technically and become a college professor. But, as I matured I came to discover my sheer love for kids and teenagers. They are like fine clay which can be moulded into a great art form if they land in the hands of a teacher who inspire. I believe guiding the students morally in their formative years will put an end to many evils in this country. I hope to start my teaching career in the Wellesley high school a famous institution with nearly 1300 students and 75 teachers. People working in the school with the right qualification and over 8 years of experience are selected for the post of the principal through internal recruitment. External recruitment for such reliable position is considered to be costly, time consuming and a tedious process (Armstrong, 1984) by the board members of Wellesley high school. Job Specifications for the High School Principal Post Management and Quality 1. Should manage the school by leading the staff, inspiring the students to work hard and ensure the school is administered well. There are many models in organizational management like the motivational model and the mechanistic model. The motivational model will best in this atmosphere. Motivational model requires a leader to train his employees well, remove boredom from work and provide them interesting situations to work with where they can easily unleash their creativity (John, 1989). The greatest challenge the Wellesley school faces is finding and retaining good teachers. So the principle 2. Should be capable of tackling high attrition using innovative motivational theory based ideas. 3. Can frame any new policies regarding the maintenance and development of the school. 4. Should report to the board about how the new policies have influenced the staff and the students positively during the annual review. Adherence to the Rules Ensure every government regulation related to hiring of staff, setting their remuneration, admission of students, performance evaluation and safety of students is followed precisely without any compensation. Implementation of Equality 1. The principal should address the various complaints arising from the staff and among the staff immediately. 2. Guarantee no discrimination based on sex, age, race or any other inclination is prevalent in the Wellesley campus in the way the staffs are treated. Finance Management 1. Demonstrate efficient budget management as the principal is the sole repository for all the finance handled in the school. 2. Maintain clear records regarding the fees collected in the school, the subsidiaries given by the government and the donations collected, with the help of his office staff. 3. Prepare quarterly estimates to be submitted in the board audits. The board will conduct financial audits in three months gap to ensure smooth flow of cash and precise reports regarding money handling are maintained. 4. Use the available resources effectively for the development of the school in every way he deems fit like building new classrooms, rolling out new appraisal packages for the staff, recruiting more helpers etc. Student and Staff Handling A school is an organization where collective and organizational learning should be given ample importance. Every principal should be well fledged in tactics like HRM which will help in gaining competitive advantage over others with the help of the staff (Pravin, 2010). The principal should 1. Convert the school environment into a fun filled and cheerful one. The students should be encouraged to unleash their creativity in music, sports and other areas along with their studies. 2. Treat every student equally and give special attention to the academically weak students to help them attain excellence in studies. The principal is free to frame and implement any policy regarding academic improvement with the approval of the board. Compensation Package My dream job should offer me $87,000 per year as per the industry norms. The benefits should include free vocation, one month holiday per year during the school closure, full medical coverage for me and three of my family members. Wellesley school principals are entitled to get free accommodation in the staff quarters. A well furnished house with a servant is allotted to their family. Regular revision of the salary once in a year, easy loan facilities, vehicle maintenance and insurance are also added. The pension scheme will enable me to get half the salary I am earning as a principal for the rest of my life even after my retirement. A small amount will be deducted from my salary for this purpose. 50% fee reduction for the principal’s children studying in the Wellesley school is also provided. Rationalization of the package The compensation package is provided according to the government norms. Wellesley high school provides extra perks like free vocation, vehicle maintenance and extended insurance coverage for the principal’s family members. They also provide extra maid or helper service to the principal’s quarters. Such measures are taken to motivate the principal to work dedicatedly and keep him free from the small clutches of the day to day life. The principal is expected to render his service with a tension free and happy mindset. His family and all the other basic needs are well taken care of by the board so that he will pass on the same compassionate and caring attitude towards his employees. The staff working under the principal can expect the same respectful treatment he receives from the board. This will encourage them further to work tirelessly and cheerfully teaching the children the core values of life along with academic lessons. Further, the principal has the highest experience in the school and it is only right he is given such a good package to prevent him from moving on a college professor. Appraisal Method The principal is nearly the head of the high school. He controls every activity in the school and is answerable to any mishap in the premises. The Wellesley high school board of director’s team comprise 8 people. These people include the correspondent of the school, regular sponsors and other people interested in the well being of the school. They have the power to appoint or fire the principal though all government norms related to the procedure are followed. They review the performance of the principal annually. The main parameters checked are given below 1. The overall academic percentage of the school 2. Efficient and innovative use of the available resources in school maintenance 3. Smooth handling of the employees and students 4. Adherence to all ethical school rules and official government regulations The principal’s effort to encourage the students in other extracurricular activities, conducting charity events and social welfare programs using the student power are also taken into account. The board requires the principal to follow all the safety measures enforced by the government very strictly as even a slight negligence might cause harm to the student’s life. It requires continuous growth in terms of academic performance. Being a highly reputed institution, all the students taking their final examinations are expected to pass. Any slight dwindling in the academic percentage will lead to severe scrutiny by the board. The principal can be fired after a two week notice by the board if he is proved to misbehave with any of the staffs or students, proven to handle illegal money during the admissions or to pass a particular student. Negligence of duty like low percentage in school and poor maintenance of premises can fetch him a warning. The principal will be fired after three such warnings by the board after giving him a three months notice. Rationalization of the appraisal School principles are the first leaders a budding generation get to see. The youngsters look upon their school principal as a king capable of controlling and changing their fate. Very high moral values and good ethical conduct is a must for the principal. Any small mistake from him will set a very bad example to the students. Hence, the school board is very strict about the misbehaviour of the principal towards the staff working below him and the students. Improving the academic performance and sustaining the high standard of the school is the main functionality of the principal’s job. Hence, high importance is given to maintaining the demanding teaching standards. As an administrator it is the duty of the principal to take care of all the maintenance factors in the premises and solve the complaints arising among the people working under him. Adhering to the government norms is also very important as any non-compliance might damage the image of the school among the public. Extra points are readily added to the appraisal considering every measure by the principal to develop the students into a multi-talented people. His annual appraisal bonus will be determined based on such activities. It might range anywhere from 8 to 15% rise in the salary. References 1. Armstrong, M. (1984). A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. Kogan Page Limited. 2. John, B. (1989). Human Resource Planning. India: Universities Press Limited. 3. Pravin, D. (2010). Human Resource Management. India: Dorling Kindlersley. Read More