JA-P1 - School Administration

The Board believes that effective school level administration is crucial to the delivery of the educational program.  Inherent to this belief is the clear expectation that the appointed Principal of each school will actively support the policies, initiatives, and direction of the Board.

During the hours of the school day, the Principal is: 

a.  In charge of the school in respect to all matters of organization, management, instruction, and discipline;

b.  Responsible for the supervision of staff, pupils, buildings, and grounds;

c.  Responsible for placing pupils in classes and issuing statements of their standing;

d. Responsible for implementing the Standards for Appropriate Educational Programming of all students in their school and for division staff under their supervision, subject to the direction of their school boards.

e.  Required to provide pertinent and meaningful information about the school and related educational matters to parents and the community;

f.  Required to ensure that parents are provided with information on their children’s individual achievement on a regular basis;

g.  Required, when a pupil transfers out of a school and enrolls in another school, to provide the new school with the pupil’s cumulative record or file within 14 days, or within 7 days after receiving a request for same;

h.  Expected to participate in the hiring, assignment, and evaluation of Teachers, and may have regard to parental and community views when making recommendations about those matters to the School Board; and,

i.  Required to involve Teachers in any planning process that is undertaken for the school.  (Refer also to GDA)  [M.R. 468/88 (Sections 28-38)] 

The Principal must also:

j.  Ensure that each pupil enrolled in the school within the jurisdiction of the school board is provided with a safe and caring school environment that fosters and maintains respectful and responsible behaviour; [PSA 41(1) (b.1)]

k.  In consultation with the school’s advisory committee prescribed under clause 4(1) (p.1) of The Education Administration Act, establish a code of conduct for pupils and staff and an emergency response plan for the school; and review that code and emergency response plan at least annually [PSA 47.1(1)];

l.  Establish a policy respecting the appropriate use of electronic mail and the Internet in schools [PSA 41.1(1)]; and,

m.  Keep statistics regarding suspensions, and ensure that educational programming is available to a pupil who has been suspended for more than five days  [M.R. 468/88, 40.9, 40.10]. 

(See also Policy GDA.)