From left: Dana Landwher, Ralph Aiello, Joe Spoltore, and Terence Johnson.

Celebrating Assistant Principals

In honor of National Assistant Principals Week April 3–7, Principal Leadership asked Ralph Aiello, the principal of Cumberland Regional High School in Bridgeton, NJ, and a member of the NASSP Board of Directors, to share what makes his school’s APs so special. In short, Aiello says that he couldn’t do his job without them.

Can you talk a little bit about your APs and their roles in your school?

I have three APs, and they each help in their own way. I jokingly say I have my enforcer, I have my politician, and I have my mediator. Terence Johnson, my enforcer, is the one who helps when I really need the hammer to come down to deal with some issue; he has that type of posture and authority. Joe Spoltore, my politician, is who I go to if I need something sold or if I need to get something done. And Dana Landwher, my mediator, is the one who sees all sides of the story and keeps us on track. Besides dealing with discipline, they each have programs and school operations they are responsible for.

What value do they add?

I could not do my job if I didn’t have them supporting me. As a principal, it can be very lonely at the top, and I know they have my back. And to know that I have three people who will make sure stuff gets done and keep things off my plate makes my job so much easier. I also know that I could walk away from this building for a week and not worry one bit because any one of the three would take care of what has to be done. I’m lucky enough that whenever a problem comes up, I know that one of my three assistant principals will be able to handle it, depending on their specialties and their skills. They complement each other and work so well together. They have an agreement that majority rules. So, if they’re trying to determine a change in conduct or how to handle something, they calmly discuss it with each other, and then, if it’s two to one, the majority rules. All three of them are great friends, as well.

Do you have any advice for principals who are hiring a new assistant principal or looking to improve how they work together?

Get to know your APs on a personal level. Understand who they are, find their strengths, find their weaknesses, and play to their strengths. When you’re interviewing for a new AP, you should follow your gut because you have to work with these people closely every school day, nearly 365 days a year since most of us work 12 months. You really have to feel that you can develop a strong relationship and trust your people, because trust is the ultimate thing.