2023 Tennessee Code › Title 49 - EDUCATION (§§ 49-1-NEW — 49-50-1703) › Chapter 2 - LOCAL ADMINISTRATION (§§ 49-2-101 — 49-2-2101) › Part 3 - COUNTY ADMINISTRATION (§§ 49-2-301 — 49-2-305) › Section 49-2-303 - School principals

(a)
(1)
Each director of schools shall employ principals for the public schools. The employment contract with each principal shall be in writing, shall not exceed the contract term of the current director of schools, and may be renewed. The contract shall specify duties other than those prescribed by statute and shall contain performance standards including the requirement that the principal's annual evaluation be based on student achievement data, with a significant portion, as defined by the guidelines and criteria adopted by the board in accordance with §
49-1-302(d)(2)
, being student growth data as reflected in teacher effect data and Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS) data, as such data is developed pursuant to chapter 1, part 6 of this title. Other standards that may be considered in the evaluation shall include, but not be limited to, other benchmarks for student proficiency, graduation rates, ACT scores where applicable and student attendance. The contract shall provide for consequences when the standards are not met. The performance contract may provide for bonuses beyond base salary, if performance standards are met or exceeded. Reasons for the nonrenewal of a contract may include, but are not limited to, inadequate performance as determined by the evaluations. A principal who has tenure as a teacher shall retain all rights of such status, expressly including those specified in §
49-5-510
.
(2)
The recommendation and employment shall be without discrimination on account of age, race, sex or creed.
(3)
The individual designated as principal shall hold a valid license as approved by the state board of education for the type of school to which assigned.
(b)
It is the duty of the principal to:
(1)
Supervise the operation and management of the personnel and facilities of the school or schools of which the principal is principal as the local board of education determines;
(2)
Assume administrative responsibility and instructional leadership under the supervision of the director of schools and in accordance with the written policies of the local board of education for the planning, management, operation and evaluation of the education program of the schools to which assigned;
(3)
Submit recommendations to the director of schools regarding the appointment and dismissal of all personnel assigned to the school or schools under the principal's care, and make decisions regarding the specific duties of all personnel assigned to the school or schools under the principal's care; provided, that the duties of teachers shall be within their area of licensure and consistent with the policies, rules or contracts of the board of education;
(4)
Administer and implement the school behavior and discipline code and require guest passes for all persons other than enrolled students and employees of the school;
(5)
Perform such other duties as may be assigned by the director of schools pursuant to the written policies of the local board of education;
(6)
Observe all other rules and regulations relative to the operation of public schools as established by law and as contained in the rules, regulations and minimum standards of the state board of education;
(7)
(A)
Assign educational assistants to noninstructional supervision of students, which may include, but is not limited to:
(i)
Lunchroom duty;
(ii)
Bus duty;
(iii)
Recess or playground duty;
(iv)
Before or after school duty; or
(v)
Other related duties;
(B)
The board of education shall specifically authorize such use of educational assistants in written school board policy and shall indemnify educational assistants in the performance of their duties; and
(8)
Prepare, annually, a budget request for the school under the principal's care and submit the budget request to the director of schools. The budget request shall set forth a plan for the cost of operation of the school for the school year beginning July 1, following, or on such date as otherwise provided by charter or act of the legislature, public or private. Upon approval of the LEA's budget, the director of schools shall assign to each principal the responsibility for and authority over the cost of operation of the principal's school.
(c)
Principals are encouraged to improve school security by limiting school access during school hours to monitored entrances.
Acts 1974, ch. 542, §§ 1, 2; 1983, ch. 362, § 2; T.C.A., §§ 49-253, 49-254; Acts 1989, ch. 199, § 3; 1990, ch. 948, § 4; 1992, ch. 535, §§ 17, 18; 1996, ch. 988, § 10; 2007 , ch. 376, §§ 3, 4; 2010 (1st Ex. Sess.), ch. 2, § 11.