A good assistant principal:
1. Knows the subject he is in charge of backwards and forwards. The AP should be able to model lessons in every course the department offers and give assistance when necessary. When observing a teacher, he should be able to determine whether the material being presented is being presented correctly.
2. Promotes comradery among department members. The AP should provide an atmosphere that encourages teachers to work together, to share materials and to create together.
3. Does not take personal feelings into account when making up programs and other assignments. No teacher should be treated harshly or with privilege for any reason.
4. Does not invite only select members to dinners, parties or vacations. Some people might feel pressured to attend events they would prefer to avoid and it causes hard feelings among those excluded. It is especially harmful to the morale of the department when the invited members are always treated better than the non invited ones.
5. Treats all department members equally.
6. Can deal with parents and students without being confrontational. The AP can solve a crisis without escalating it.
I can't count the number of times I've heard a certain AP telling the department how he was the best AP in the city and how lucky we all were to be working for him. And, while I would be the first to say he wasn't the worst in the city, on a scale from one to ten, he might be a 2.
