A school supervisor also is called a principal, and is essentially an administrator who oversees the daily operations of schools and leads the organizations' training activities. These professionals typically must complete four-year bachelor’s degree programs in education followed by two-year master’s degree programs in educational leadership or education administration. This type of training prepares a school supervisor to interact with teachers, address school monetary issues, map out long-term school plans, and supervise the institution’s various programs.
A school leader is responsible for making sure that teachers are equipped to train students in a wide variety of subjects. Principals first hire teachers, lead meetings to answer questions about school procedures, and handle regular teacher evaluations. In addition, a school supervisor helps teachers to select training materials and might even visit their classrooms to gauge their teaching abilities. If a teacher fails to abide by school policies, a school supervisor must facilitate the process to terminate the employee and find a replacement educator.
Handling money is a valuable part of the school supervisor role as well. School principals have to create budgets for the school each year and make sure professionals at the school comply with the requirements of the budget when making purchases or hiring outside companies to perform various services. A school budget addresses spending on teaching materials, as well as cafeteria food items and even landscaping services, for example. School supervisors also help to determine whether a school building should simply be repaired or rather replaced. Overseeing fundraisers to raise money to pay for particular expenses also is a task that school leaders perform.
Creating a vision for a school is an important duty of a principal. School leaders have the responsibility of establishing long-term organization objectives. This might include meeting not only with teachers but also with students, their parents, and even members of organizations in the community that participate in the school’s activities and initiatives. School supervisors additionally use the summer months to make plans for the upcoming school year.
A school supervisor must complete a wide variety of other responsibilities as well, such as ensuring that his or her student body meets certain established academic standards at the regional or national levels. This is critical because schools sometimes receive a certain amount of funding based on the performance level of their students. In addition, a school manager supervises summer school activities, handles media calls during news-making events, and oversees after-school programs for students.
