School Principals’ Day Date in the current year: May 1, 2024

These education professionals are known by many names: school principals, headmasters or headmistresses, head teachers, head instructors, school directors. Principals have the greatest responsibility for the management of their schools; they are frontline leaders that facilitate and ensure smooth interaction between students, staff, parents, community members, superintendents, and other stakeholders in the school.

A principal is a steward of their school. They set up the core values and tone for the entire school and create an environment that promotes academic success for students and professional success for teachers and other staff. Principals are responsible for guiding day to day school business, overseeing school sponsored activities, and making decisions.

In smaller schools, principals may do some teaching, but in most large schools, they have no time to teach because school governance takes up all of their time. In large schools, the principal may be assisted by one or more vice-principals (also called associate principals, deputy principals or assistant principals), each of whom is typically responsible for specific duties such as curriculum, student discipline, student council, etc. whereas the principal is responsible for managing the school as a whole.

Being a school principal can be a very challenging role because principals are some of the hardest working people in the education system, yet they are often overlooked and underappreciated. In many high school movies and shows, principals are portrayed as villains or comic relief, which couldn’t be further from the truth. It is thanks to principals and vice-principals that schools run smoothly and have a positive and productive environment for both students and teachers. This is why it is important to celebrate school principals and highlight their contribution to education.

School Principals’ Day was launched by Janet Dellaria, a teacher from Trout Creek, Michigan. She wanted to recognize all the dedicated principals and vice-principals in schools across the nation, from elementary to high schools. Since its inception, the holiday has been backed by many professional in the United States and has spread to neighboring Canada.

There are many ways to celebrate School Principals’ Day. If you’re a parent or teacher, you can organize an event to thank your principal for their hard work and dedication. If you’re a current or former student, give a shout out to your school principal or principals to show them your appreciation. And don’t forget to post about the holiday on social media with the hashtag #SchoolPrincipalsDay to spread the word (in Canada, the hashtag #NationalPVPDay is also used to highlight that the holiday celebrates both principals and vice-principals).