Education Administrators – Principal, Assistant Principal, Director Job Descriptions & Career Opportunities

Education administrators play an important role in the school system. They are essentially managers of the school systems, responsible for making sure that everything runs smoothly in all aspects of the educational environment. They are responsible for making sure that teachers are doing their jobs properly, that all employees are adhering to any state or government requirements, and that the school’s curriculum is up to standards. Education administrators are also in charge of maintaining a good relationship with their community, students, and parents of students. All of these duties make up the job of an education administrator, and these duties are very important in helping keep school systems running smoothly and providing a high quality of education to students in the district.

Educational administration jobs generally require a masters or doctorate degree. Check out the programs below which offer free information:

    MED in Education Administration by Grand Canyon University
    Master of Science in Education – College Administration by Keiser University
    Master of Arts in Education / Administration by University of Phoenix
Education administrators perform a wide variety of duties and work in a variety of fields. Education administrators often work in schools, including smaller day care centers or child care facilities, elementary and middle schools, high schools, and colleges and universities. Education administrators can also work for businesses, conducting career counseling courses or working with employees to improve their work habits and knowledge of their jobs. Education administrators who work in school environments are responsible for a number of tasks. These tasks including planning a budget, event planning, creating a plan for educational goals and ways to achieve those goals, and monitoring progress of both students and staff members. Principals are also responsible for hiring teachers and staff members. In order to ensure a high quality of education for students, principals often evaluate teachers based on classroom observation, studying class materials and learning procedures. Principals must be able to evaluate the strength of assignments to determine whether or not lessons are helpful to students, and create new learning plans and assignments to accommodate new technology in the classroom. This kind of position can be stressful because of the number of responsibilities, and often administrative duties are divided among the principal, vice principals, and other educational directors.

For principals who work in smaller schools, many of these duties are performed by one or two education administrators. Typically, a small school has only one principal and one vice principal. In larger schools, including colleges and universities, these duties are divided among several individuals who occupy different positions in the school. At the college level, one person may be assigned only to budgeting, another to human resources, another to public relations, and so on. Duties may even be divided further, assigning positions among various departments to make sure that everything runs smoothly and that students are being taken care of in the department.
The most important thing for an education administrator to remember is that the students come first. Many year-end reports are comprised of information regarding student attendance, performance, and skill levels. It is important for education administrators to remember that education is their goal, not excellent budgeting skills or event planning. While these things are important, students should always come first. By creating a strong relationship with students, administrators can better understand student needs and make decisions in the best interest of the student.

In order to become an education administrator, certain requirements must be met. First of all, there is an educational requirement. This is usually a bachelor’s degree, and the emphasis can vary depending on the type of administrative position. For someone interested in a larger school environment, degrees in finance, human resources, education, or administration are all important. For those interested in smaller schools, it may be more important to focus on education degrees or education leadership. While a bachelor’s degree will suffice for most positions, it is often beneficial to have a master’s degree or a PhD in order to reach the higher administrative positions. Experience as a teacher in the classroom is also a common requirement before becoming an education administrator. Most states also require a license in order to work in the school environment, and this training is often achieved on-the-job or by attending training sessions at the school. This is especially true of elementary and preschools, and less so of post-secondary schools.

Pay for education administrators varies greatly, depending on the type of school as well as its size. Preschools and day care centers often pay less than secondary schools or colleges. Most education administrators earn between $35,000 and $55,000 a year, while many earn much more. Those who work in a college or university environment often make closer to $80,000 or $100,000 a year. However, pay depends on a number of factors, including responsibilities, education, and position. The higher your position and the more education you have, the better chance you have for making a better living as an education administrator.

The job outlook for this career is looking good for those interested in the field. In recent years, a number of administrators has retired and applications have decreased for these positions. If you are interested in becoming an education administrator, keep an eye out for prospective positions in the near future.