All elementary school staff must be caring and nurturing, and this is especially true for assistant principals. Their young charges are dependent upon them for their physical safety as well as their emotional well-being. Assistant principals are usually in charge of disciplinary actions in the school. They must always mete out punishments and consequences with a view toward developing the moral development of the children in their care.They must be good role models who always demonstrate good judgment, fairness and consistency.
It is essential that the assistant principal support his principal completely. They are part of the same administrative team, and their interactions must reflect this. It is the the role of the principal to lead and the assistant principal to follow. Therefore the assistant principal must never undermine the authority of the principal. Any disagreements should be expressed privately. The assistant principal must be able to accept constructive criticism. The assistant principal must also be reliable, responsible, open and honest.
The elementary assistant principal must always put the needs of the students first. Whenever a decision needs to be made that requires good judgment, the best interests of the children must be the priority. If a situation requires making a choice between what is good for teachers and what is good for students, the assistant principal must tip the scales in favor of the kids. The assistant principal must have integrity. She must be able to keep confidential information confidential and never break trust with any of the constituents of the school.
The elementary assistant principal must have excellent organizational and management skills. Many of the assistant principal's duties will revolve around administrative details such as teachers' timetables, room scheduling, report card completion, correction and collection and many other critically important things such as parent meetings, staff development and student discipline. All of these duties must be performed intelligently, humanely, compassionately and skilfully. Her behavior must be exemplary, always adhering to a high moral code.