It is something many principals relish. Sam Carmen, executive director of the Milwaukee teachers union, said principals have succeeded in assembling strong staffs without having authority over hiring. But the union has made substantial concessions on the subject, and the notion of being able to choose staff members has wide appeal among ambitious principals. Building a staff is just one aspect of the increasingly demanding world of a school principal. Now, principals, often with involvement from others in the school, are making significant decisions over curriculum, training, programming, security efforts and other aspects of school life.
Budget management is a major matter.
For some, this is a headache and an aggravation. But many principals say that no one can make a decision for their school better than the people in the school, and they are using budget power to shape their school. For many principals, particularly in Milwaukee, it means working on the school's image in the surrounding neighborhood and getting more involved with community groups. It also means involvement with corporate partners who are increasingly valuable for providing extra money or services that enhance a school. In a world of charter schools and publicly funded private schools, it also means doing marketing that never needed to be done before.