Whereas, educational research shows that effective schools are led by effective principals; who by the nature of their position are indispensable leaders in their schools; and

Whereas, principals are held accountable to ensure that their schools are safe learning environments for staff and the students attending the schools they lead; and

Whereas, effective principals share leadership with parents, teachers, and, students attending the schools; and

Whereas, school leaders cannot meet their full responsibilities absent due process rights; and

Whereas, incentives are needed to ensure that highly qualified principals and assistant principals continue to serve in school leadership positions;

Resolved by the Board of Directors of the National Association of Secondary School Principals that:

  • the principal is the instructional leader of the school; and the principal promotes the success of all students by facilitating the development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a vision of learning that is shared and supported by the school community; and
  • local school districts provide principals with appropriate support staff and time to allow the principal to attend to instructional leadership; and
  • principals who promote the success of all students by advocating, nurturing, and sustaining a school culture and instructional program conducive to student learning and staff professional growth, have the freedom to select a staff which supports and delivers the agreed upon educational program; and
  • the principal who promotes the success of all students by ensuring management of the organization, operations, and resources for a safe, efficient, and effective learning environment, be allowed to administer the funds within the school to allocate resources in order to accomplish the goal to increase student achievement; and
  • equitable federal, state, and local funding is needed to provide quality principal preparation and ongoing professional development programs for principals; and
  • principals’ performance be assessed on reasonable standards that determine and define the success of the schools they lead; and
  • principals and assistant principals have the right to organize and negotiate on matters affecting their conditions of employment; and
  • substantive and procedural due process rights be in place, including timely and proper notice, opportunity for private hearing with the Board of Education, public hearing if appropriate, the right to be represented by counsel, and, if appropriate, tenure to ensure that competence, not politics, dictates continued employment; and
  • local school districts identify incentives to be used or distributed as determined by the principal; and
  • local school districts provide principals and assistant principals with salaries commensurate with extensive work hours, responsibilities, and accountability.

Approved by the NASSP Board of Directors February 3, 2000, San Antonio, Texas