Management Tasks, Functions and Student Learning

Management is a very large part of a principal's role in a school.  Some have suggested administrators should have a 51/49 instructional leadership/management split.  Although this would be ideal I feel it will be very hard to maintain.  Many times the managerial tasks are ones that immediately come back to reflect you and your school.  These tasks may arrive when you least expect it.  What is important is to have a plan for dealing with and balancing managerial tasks.

Management can gets kind of bad rap in the world of administration.  Some people think of it as the "stuff" you have to do.  The truth of the manner is that a good manager allows a school to run efficiently and effectively.  As an effective manager, administrators can guarantee students they are safe in school, make sure the school has the resources necessary to learn and keep the staff informed just to name a few.  It is important to have a system and a good grasp for how to handle these aspects of the job in order to ensure student learning.

New administrators may struggle with management until they get some experience.  One of the first things a principal should learn to do is delegate.  Empower other staff members and build relationships with staff members that may have expertise in these certain areas.  The job of a building administrator is a grueling one the way it is.  A principal should not need to feel as though they need to do it all.  Staying organized and having a good relationship with the building secretary are great ways to begin an effective management system.

Management used to be the primary role of a principal.  With the shift toward instructional leader it is getting tough for some building administrators to balance.  Isn't instructional leadership the only aspect that affects student learning?  Obviously that is not the case.  As I mentioned earlier maintaining a safe school is important component of making sure a student learns.  It is also a managerial task.  Making sure staff is informed on students, events and procedures is important.  Teachers need to be focused on their students and their learning.  A good leader will run a smooth and effective school that allows the focus to be on student achievement.  When management issues become non-issues the focus for all stakeholders can be on student achievement and great strides can truly be made.  Once a principals management system is off and running that shift toward 51/49 can really start gaining steam.