The role of the school site leader has become increasingly more complicated. Gone are the days of the principal simply “leading by walking around.” Today’s principal is a learning and teaching leader in a high-stakes accountability environment, where dwindling funding has become the norm.

Some of ACSA’s principal leaders talked to EdCal about the challenges of the job. Yet they all also noted their devotion and passion for what they do, namely playing a critical role in ensuring students learn.

Funding for public education has been cut more than $18 billion over the past four years, exacerbating the effects of a steadily decreasing funding stream. By the time the national recession hit, California ranked in the bottom five states on per-pupil spending. Thus, the more recent massive budget cuts have created a dire situation.

“The lack of funding has had a large impact on our school and students,” said Lars Nygren, principal of Parras Middle School in Redondo Beach USD. “Before the budget cuts, we were lucky to have the traditional home economics and woodshop elective courses. However, the recent budget cuts forced us to cut those electives, along with two full-time teaching positions.

“Funding-wise, our school has lost 25 to 30 percent of our budget, and we have had to make do with less. Gone are our after-school homework clubs, teachers attending professional development, current technology and additional in-class support for students. However, our school is still providing an outstanding education for our students, and we are thankful for what we do have.”

Lauren Kinney, principal of Sundance Elementary in Beaumont USD, is one of seven national recipients of the 2011 Terrel H. Bell Award for Outstanding School Leadership from the U.S. Department of Education. Even a high achieving leader has plenty of challenges these days.

“We have had to increase class sizes to 30 in our kindergarten and third grade classes,” Kinney said. “We had to eliminate our computer lab aide, Title 1 instructional aides and lost teachers because of the reversal of class-size reduction in two grade levels. We have had to figure out how to do more with less.”

Norma Rodriguez, principal of San Antonio Elementary in Alum Rock UESD, was ACSA’s 2009 Elementary Principal of the Year and a National Distinguished Principal in 2010. She said the budget cuts have made her job nearly impossible.

“I often feel like a hamster running non-stop on a wheel, being exhausted and not getting anywhere,” Rodriguez said. “I often wonder: What keeps me going and has allowed me to stay on the job this long? How long will I be able to sustain this rhythm? Most importantly, why should I care?”

She said one of her primary responsibilities is to see that every student is taught by a highly competent, exemplary and caring teacher. But budget cuts have made it almost impossible to develop professional learning communities, implement effective evaluations, or make frequent classroom visits followed by clear feedback, individualized, small group and school-wide staff development opportunities.

“All of these researched-based, highly effective strategies take time and cost money and are considered to be unaffordable luxuries due to the current budget woes,” she said. “The key to ensuring continuous improvement and effective teaching is the implementation of high quality professional development. Due to the budget cuts I must do all this in one hour a week.”

Not only have the cuts been felt at the school site, but the reduction in support from the central office has affected principals’ ability to provide quality education for students as well.

“Our district office has consolidated positions and made cuts to personnel,” Nygren said. “Everyone now has more on their plates while trying to maintain a satisfactory level of service.”

Kinney agreed.

“The staff at the district office is in a ‘bare bones’ mode,” she said. “They are trying to do the same amount of work, or more, with less employees.”

Rodriguez said that loss of central office support has really hurt her ability to develop staff to their fullest potential.

“The loss of support at the central office level, due to job cuts there, has been debilitating, as has increasing my responsibility to become an expert staff developer in all areas,” she said. “District-wide staff development opportunities made available to our teachers is a thing of the past.”

Despite the mounting challenges, principals remain committed to the job and passionate about their work.

“Being in a career and at a school where our focus is to help prepare students to have productive lives as adults is something that I personally find rewarding,” Nygren said.

“I have a passion for helping students learn and grow in a positive environment,” Kinney said. “I have been in the education profession for 31 years and watched it evolve over time. It has been fascinating to me to be a part of this ever-changing profession as we strive to learn new strategies and implement them.

“I stay in the profession because I think I make a positive difference in my students’ lives. Sometimes, the only positive adult contact they get is from their school experience. I take my job seriously and consider it a privilege to be able to positively affect hundreds of children every year.”

Rodriguez noted that her colleagues help her to stay focused on the right things.

“My active involvement with ACSA leadership has kept me informed, energized and optimistic,” Rodriguez said. “I would probably have given up long ago if it had not been for ACSA. It has become an indispensable organization, if I am to continue to serve my community at the highest level expected.

“ACSA is my voice and has my back! ACSA is my voice because they advocate and fight for my needs. They have my back because they provide numerous staff development opportunities so I can continue to be the best I can be.”

Related documents

Research from The Rand Corp. supports the finding that among all school-based factors, the quality of the principal is second only to that of the classroom teacher.

A study from Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning show that the principal is pivotal to a positive school culture.

A related EdCal article features how one California school principal has built an environment for learning and teaching despite financial challenges.