Directors and presidents establish goals, standards, policies and procedures for the institutions they oversee. To do this properly, they must manage supervisors, teachers, counselors, librarians, coaches and other support staff effectively so the procedures and policies adopted by the school are followed. Decision making on academic programs, instruction, staff development and evaluations of instructional staff are additional areas of responsibility for directors and presidents. Additional responsibilities include monitoring procedures for record keeping, preparing budgets, student enrollment and completing thorough reports to the school board monthly.
Possessing strong communication and interpersonal skills for successfully meeting the positions' responsibilities is critical for success. Daily parent, student and staff interactions are a regular part of the school day. Building relations with community organizations and using community resources for the schools' programs also require strong communication and interpersonal skills. Depending on the size of the educational institution these responsibilities may be shared with a co-director or assistant director.
In preschools and child care centers the director is usually the single administrator. In colleges and universities presidents have chief academic officers called provosts to share the responsibilities of managing the institution daily. Provosts assist the president in making faculty and tenure decisions, developing budgets, and establishing academic programs and policies. Under the president's supervision, provosts direct and manage deans and chairpersons throughout the educational institution.
The position of director or president in a school requires dedication and commitment to meeting the many responsibilities in managing an educational institution. In addition to the daily responsibilities, there are also many state and federal laws educational organizations must follow. It is the director and president of who must ensure the school operates within the law. These requirements include scheduling time for subject areas, selecting quality research-based programs, overseeing budget purchases and ensuring proper enrollment procedures, teacher qualifications and certifications.