What does an elementary school principal do?
An Elementary School Principal is responsible for managing public and private schools from kindergarten to middle school. They implement elementary curriculums, set performance goals, prepare budget reports, and perform other duties, as necessary.
Elementary school principal responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real elementary school principal resumes:
- Create a PBIS system for teachers on how to manage behavior on a daily basis and reward positive outcomes.
- Assist teachers in the Pre-K and pre-school programs.
- Establish and maintain relationships with colleges, community organizations, and other schools to coordinate educational services.
- Help re-design the 6th grade program to promote smoother transition to jr. high.
- Result in international interest in available ESL programs.
Elementary school principal skills and personality traits
We calculated that 9% of Elementary School Principals are proficient in Professional Development, Student Achievement, and School Administration. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Decision-making skills, and Interpersonal skills.
We break down the percentage of Elementary School Principals that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Professional Development, 9%
Improved professional responsibility and accountability through participation in professional development.
- Student Achievement, 7%
Supervised and developed learning communities to implement strategies to excel student achievement in the Over-Under Program.
- School Administration, 6%
Worked with school administration, district personnel and community stakeholders to interpret Texas mandates and implement systems to for school improvement.
- Elementary Schools, 5%
Plan, control, and direct the overall activities for two elementary schools with 550 students and 75 faculty members.
- Staff Development, 5%
Conducted staff development activities which included curriculum scope and sequence meetings.
- Professional Growth, 5%
Developed and designed teacher performance improvement plans, accountability metrics used for yearly review, and professional growth plans.
Most elementary school principals use their skills in "professional development," "student achievement," and "school administration" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential elementary school principal responsibilities here:
Communication skills. One of the key soft skills for an elementary school principal to have is communication skills. You can see how this relates to what elementary school principals do because "principals must communicate effectively with students, teachers, and parents." Additionally, an elementary school principal resume shows how elementary school principals use communication skills: "developed positive school and community relations which included effective oral and written communications to all stakeholder groups. "
Decision-making skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling elementary school principal duties is decision-making skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "because principals are responsible for students, staff, and the overall operation of the school, they consider many factors when making decisions." According to an elementary school principal resume, here's how elementary school principals can utilize decision-making skills in their job responsibilities: "led the school in improving student achievement by enhancing instructional consistency through the use of data to drive instructional decision-making. "
Interpersonal skills. elementary school principals are also known for interpersonal skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to elementary school principal responsibilities, because "principals work with teachers, parents, and superintendents and must develop positive working relationships with them." An elementary school principal resume example shows how interpersonal skills is used in the workplace: "counseled students in improving academic performance, health and interpersonal relations. "
Leadership skills. For certain elementary school principal responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "leadership skills." The day-to-day duties of an elementary school principal rely on this skill, as "principals set educational goals and establish policies and procedures for the school." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what elementary school principals do: "focus was on instructional leadership -providing ongoing, researched based professional development and support for teachers through a comprehensive induction/mentoring model. "
Problem-solving skills. A commonly-found skill in elementary school principal job descriptions, "problem-solving skills" is essential to what elementary school principals do. Elementary school principal responsibilities rely on this skill because "teachers, students, and other staff report problems to the principal." You can also see how elementary school principal duties rely on problem-solving skills in this resume example: "applied conflict resolution skills in order to maintain a safe and orderly learning environment. "
The three companies that hire the most elementary school principals are:
- CARE7 elementary school principals jobs
- Edmond Public Schools7 elementary school principals jobs
- Spurwinkri
5 elementary school principals jobs
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Compare different elementary school principals
Elementary school principal vs. Chairperson
A chairperson is responsible for managing the overall business team, ensuring everyone's compliance with the company's strategies and processes to reach the highest business goals and objectives. A chairperson's duties also include monitoring the staff's performance, analyzing the committee's performance and decisions, providing reports and updates during meetings, improving the current policies and procedures as necessary, and facilitating committee's programs and special events. A chairperson must have excellent leadership and communication skills to lead the team towards its organizational success.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an elementary school principal are more likely to require skills like "student achievement," "school administration," "elementary schools," and "staff development." On the other hand, a job as a chairperson requires skills like "alumni," "scholarship," "community outreach," and "executive board." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Chairpeople tend to make the most money working in the finance industry, where they earn an average salary of $122,813. In contrast, elementary school principals make the biggest average salary, $83,424, in the education industry.The education levels that chairpeople earn slightly differ from elementary school principals. In particular, chairpeople are 25.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an elementary school principal. Additionally, they're 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Elementary school principal vs. Superintendent
Superintendents oversee the administration of schools in a specific school district. They manage the educational programs of each school and create strategic decisions to ensure that the students are learning important subjects. They also supervise school administrators or principals and are responsible for hiring and guiding them. Superintendents should be familiar with their constituents and must always be ready to listen to their needs. It is important that superintendents are good decision-makers and communicators. They are expected to lead their respective districts in achieving their vision. Superintendents drive the team towards their goals and create strategic steps to ensure success.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real elementary school principal resumes. While elementary school principal responsibilities can utilize skills like "student achievement," "school administration," "elementary schools," and "staff development," superintendents use skills like "osha," "quality standards," "construction management," and "logistics."
Superintendents earn a lower average salary than elementary school principals. But superintendents earn the highest pay in the construction industry, with an average salary of $85,679. Additionally, elementary school principals earn the highest salaries in the education with average pay of $83,424 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Superintendents tend to reach lower levels of education than elementary school principals. In fact, they're 31.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Elementary school principal vs. Curriculum director
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from elementary school principal resumes include skills like "professional development," "school administration," "community relations," and "learning environment," whereas a curriculum director is more likely to list skills in "professional development workshops," "child care," "language arts," and "classroom observations. "
Curriculum directors earn the best pay in the non profits industry, where they command an average salary of $63,521. Elementary school principals earn the highest pay from the education industry, with an average salary of $83,424.curriculum directors typically earn lower educational levels compared to elementary school principals. Specifically, they're 10.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.9% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Elementary school principal vs. Director of physical education
Types of elementary school principal
Updated January 8, 2025
