Head Teacher Information
A head teacher or school principal (also known as headteacher,[1] headmaster, headmistress or the Head, sometimes informally in Scots, the heidie or heedie) is the most senior teacher, leader and manager of a school.
In Scotland, such officials are sometimes known as the "rector", most commonly in independent schools. In North America, Australia and Ireland (including Northern Ireland), such officials are usually known as the "school principal", but some schools use the term "headmaster" or "Head Master". Some American public schools, such as Boston Latin School, Brooklyn Latin School, Books and documents relating to the early days of public education in the United States show that the title was originally Principal Teacher.
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Role
While some head teachers still retain some teaching responsibility, other than in very small schools, most of their duties are managerial and pastoral.
In Australia, the Head Teacher is in charge of one (in the case of a major subject) or multiple (often in smaller schools) specific departments, such as English, Maths, Science, etc., but maintains full teaching duties and status. They are considered part of the school executive, and often a Head Teacher position is a stepping-stone into administration.
Deputy head
Main article: Deputy head teacherAssistants
In larger schools, the principal is assisted by one or more "vice-principals", "assistant principals", "associate 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, curriculum, student council or student activities whereas the principal has the ultimate responsibility for the school as a whole (including faculty and staff, physical plant, etc.).
Regional information
Australia
In many Australian schools, a principal is the head administrator of a school who has been appointed to her/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. The title Head Teacher is also used in Australia to denote a head of subject or department (e.g., Head Teacher of English).
Scotland
In Scotland, the post of Principal Teacher (PT) is held by the third most senior teacher in a Primary School, whose job it is to oversee a certain aspect of the school's organization, or by the most senior teacher of a department/faculty of a high school, whose job it is to run and manage that specific department/faculty.
United States
In 1999, there were about 133,000 principals and assistant principals in the United States.[2] In the early decades of public education, the full title was "principal teacher", which accounts for the present day title having an adjectival form, essentially being a foreshortened version of the original full title.
Yet the term Headmaster is still used.
See also
References
External links
- Association of School and College Leaders
- National Association of Head Teachers (England, Wales & Northern Ireland)
- Society of Headmasters and Headmistresses of Independent Schools
- Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
- International Confederation of Principals
- Australian Secondary Principals Association
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