Thread: Promotion in teaching profession

To become a principal or vice-principal we have to go to school to get a master's in administration. Teachers are required to teach in a classroom for several years, but once they have completed their master's, they can apply to become a principal or vice-principal. In our district, you have to live in the school district area to become an administrator. I'm in the elementary, so becoming a grade level head is really easy. We fight over who has to be it for the next year. There's no extra pay for it.

How does your system work???

The ideal "road to administration" is paved with lots of good components: Various teaching experiences in different grade levels, an administrative credential (extra coursework that may be applied to a master's degree), and good management skills.

Not everyone is suited to be a principal, of course, and educational systems are highly political. I know of one administrator in my district who spent many years in the air force. Upon retirement (at age 39 or something), he taught for ONE YEAR before applying for AND GETTING a V.P. position. He didn't even have a teaching credential. He is still working on his administrative credential. Many of the teachers in my district have a hard time wrapping their minds around the idea that this guy only spent ONE YEAR in the classroom before being given authority over experienced teachers.

You have to be in the right place at the right time....many experienced teachers will end their careers as administrators even though their hearts are in the classroom simply because adminstrators make more money and retirement is based upon the average salary of your last three years in the profession.