How to Become a Vice Principal

Vice principals, more commonly known as assistant principals in the United States, work for both public and private scholastic systems. The role of the vice principal is to assist the principal with the school’s everyday administrative tasks and to work in cohesion with the teachers and students to make the scholastic circumstance as productive as possible.
Vice principals are often in charge of scheduling, hiring, ordering textbooks and supplies, and dealing with behavioral issues in students. This is most important that they are dealing with the disciplinary actions of the school they are working. The exact duties of vice principals often vary by school, because principals can decide what work to assign to vice principals.

While most schools are in session for only 10 months of each year, a vice principal almost always works on a 12-month schedule. Vice principals are often required to be present in the school building over the summer to help with new student registration, scheduling and class assignments, and other administrative tasks. Vice principals typically work from 30 to 40 minutes before school begins to 30 to 40 minutes after school ends. Many times, vice principals are required to attend school functions such as sporting events, theatrical performances or social events (such as prom or homecoming).

While some schools allow teachers to change into administrative roles as vice principals, this usually isn’t the case. This situation happens quite often in childcare or private school settings, but public schools often have different rules and regulations regarding their administrative staff throughout all levels. Typically, vice principals are required to hold a Master’s degree Ed. Administration or educational leadership. Often, this degree is recieved on top of a business or education degrees.

  • Many vice principals are hired with the thought that they will eventually replace the principal (when they retire or leave for any other reason). And some vice principals move to different districts as principals when there are openings. Therefore, vice principals are almost always looking for ways to further educate themselves in school administration. Some states have written exams for principals and vice principals to further certify them, often increasing these administrators’ chances of promotion and raising their salaries
  • The average salary for vice principals depends on their experience and the school level at which they are teaching. The average high school vice principal makes approximately $75,121; the average junior high vice principal makes $73,020; and the average elementary school vice principal makes $67,735.
  • In 2006, it was reported that at the elementary and secondary school level, 226,000 people were employed as school administrators. However, this number includes both principals and vice principals. Many schools have one principal and one vice principal, but many larger schools choose to have two, three or four vice principals working underneath one principal. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the number of school administrators will rise to approximately 243,000 by the year 2016.