Principals

Re “Principal: A Tougher Job, Fewer Takers,” June 23: Since 1993, I have been the principal at Third Street School in Los Angeles. I am the only administrator at a school with 850 students and 80 staff members. LAUSD doesn’t assign assistant principals to elementary schools with fewer than 950 students. The national norm is approximately 350 students, and the state average is about 550 students.

I too have been working longer hours and weekends to get caught up with heaps of paperwork. Six years ago, when I started, I attributed the often seven-day workweeks to my being new. However, after six years of becoming a more efficient administrator, I still find my workload to be even larger. The personal life I had hoped to regain is now a distant memory.

Sometimes I say to myself, “Stop whining and start leading. You knew what you were committing yourself to.” Still, I can’t forget that I do not have enough time to perform my primary mission: providing instructional leadership. Juggling operational work, numerous meetings, heaps of paperwork and instructional leadership has grown to be a daunting task.

Amid all its other important concerns, LAUSD would best serve students by devising a strategy that would free principals to do their real task, improving instruction for all students. Please lower the assistant principal norm so many principals can devote more of their time to the students.

SUZIE K. OH

Los Angeles