Andersen Elementary School in Chandler had a pajama day on the last day of school before winter break.
Principal Kristin Kinghorn took part in the fun and wore a light-up Christmas beanie and bright red elf slippers that jingled as she walked.
Before her students left school for the winter break, Kinghorn went around to each classroom to hand out Christmas cards for teachers and birthday cards and pencils for students with birthdays that week and during the break.
“This is the best part of the job — just being able to see kids. Any time you can get into classrooms to see kids you’re like a celebrity to them and it’s just so fun,” Kinghorn said as she walked through the school campus with the cards in hand.
As soon as Kinghorn approached them, students' faces lit up. Some ran up to her to give her a hug and show off their pajamas. One girl handed Kinghorn a painting as she walked through her classroom.
But Kinghorn said not every day as a school principal is this fun.
“There are days where I’m doing discipline all day long, and I’m calling parents all day long, because there’s discipline issues that have happened and that necessarily isn't a fun day,” she said.
Hard work is nothing new to school leaders. But a recent survey by the National Association of Secondary School Principals found that since the COVID outbreak, the job has become more challenging for some. Nearly 80% of principals report they've been working harder, 73% report working more hours and 62% report having a harder time doing their job than ever before.
It’s not typical for principals to voice the kinds of concerns reported in the survey, said NASSP CEO Ronn Nozoe.
“Principals are not grumblers. They don’t complain,” he said. “We always talk about, you know, ‘They’re good soldiers. We’re gonna make sure it’s handled, we’re going to take care of it.’ For them to be going through what they're going through and starting to express it now is deeply concerning.”
Throughout the pandemic, principals have had to help their staff and students navigate through distance learning, reopenings and learning disruptions. Some have had new COVID-related public health responsibilities like contact tracing thrusted on them – all while dealing with staffing shortages either because of hiring challenges or quarantined staff.
“My principals, one of the things that they say is their most biggest challenge is every morning, like trying to figure out how they’re going to cover the day because of staffing shortages,” said Saddle Mountain Unified School District Superintendent Paul Tighe, adding that schools are experiencing a shortage of substitute teachers. “Higher absenteeism, less backup and already spread thin, it’s just kind of a bad recipe.”
Principals are also dealing with COVID-related political pressures. More than one-third of principals surveyed reported being threatened in response to the steps they have taken to prevent the spread of COVID in their school. One such incident took place in September at the Vail Unified School District. A parent and two other adults showed up to Mesquite Elementary School in Tucson and threatened to zip tie Principal Diane Vargo because the parent’s child would have to isolate and miss a school field trip because of possible COVID exposure.
“So you have this lack of civility compounding every situation that a principal finds himself or herself in,” said Mark Joraanstad, executive director of the Arizona School Administrators Association.
Job satisfaction among principals is at an all-time low, according to the survey, with four out of 10 expecting to leave the profession in the next three years. So if nothing is done to address these issues, the survey said there could be a mass exodus of principals.
In the Saddle Mountain district located 50 miles west of Phoenix, Tighe said two of his four principals have thought about leaving.
“I don’t blame them," he said. "It’s really hard to talk people into staying in the fire when your feet are getting burned. You know, it’s … it’s not that easy.”
One of things the Saddle Mountain district is doing to help principals during this time is offering them training on how to make their workloads more manageable and how to delegate responsibilities. In addition Tighe encourages his principals to spend more time in classrooms and take time off.
He’s also working with the Maricopa County health department to get volunteers or paid staff who can take COVID-related duties such as contact tracing and case data entry off of principals’ shoulders.
“That’s some relief that’s on the way — just had a conversation with them a couple days ago, and they were really excited about that,” he said.
The training has already made a difference for one of Tighe’s principals and he thinks she might be considering staying in her position next year.
NASSP has developed a series of networks that principals and assistant principals can tap into to connect with colleagues all over the country and share what has worked at their schools with someone who has been in similar situations as they have.
For Kinghorn, in addition to the support she’s received from her district, Chandler Unified, talking with other school leaders inside and outside of her district is what's helped her get through tough moments, she said.
“I think that helps immensely,” Kinghorn said. “So I would say find your group of people who know what you’re going through, who can offer ideas and can make you laugh? Because if you don’t have that group, then it can be a very lonely job.”
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been modified to correct the spelling of Kristin Kinghorn's name.
