Principal or Princifoe

 By: Paige Adams

          Your first lesson in life on understanding a government hierarchy comes from attending school.  There is the teacher, who is your immediate supervisor and has authority to relegate or demote you.  This teacher reports to the head boss, the CEO, the principal.  Her/his position is like the mayor, carefully making sure the school runs according to the larger construct or guidelines for the district.  The principal answers directly to the school board, like the city council who lends guidance to the mayor and his staff.  Then finally, there is the superintendent, who is the commander in chief, like the governor, overseeing that everything is in line with state mandates.

          As a student, I personally have never had a principal that I did not like or respect. In fact, I looked up to them as honorable men. I say men only because I did not experience a female principal during my formal education.  As a teacher, I got along well with the administrative staff, both male and female.  Of course, nothing was always perfect. There were a few moments of tension here and there, but I never felt that my bosses were unapproachable or unreasonable, except for one incident. 

          As a first year teacher, you are under the watchful eye of all administrators.  For me and many of my NYC teaching fellow colleagues, the scrutiny was a little more intense.  This was simply because we did not come through the traditional teaching path and were receiving a free master’s degree compliments of the city of New York.  Teachers that had taken the traditional path, unfortunately had to pay for their master’s degree and some were resentful of the teaching fellows because of this.  Therefore, we had to be extra careful to dot our I’s and cross our T’s because they could make trouble for us or become our allies, which many did.

          When I began working as a NYC teacher, I was hired by a Title I school. Title I schools have low test scores and high failing rates.  The majority are located in impoverished communities and are plagued with many behavioral problems.  Understanding that most of my students came from struggling households, I would typically allow them to review their notes in class a few minutes before issuing an exam.  This was also preceded the day before with a game of classroom jeopardy. This was my method of teaching them how to study and providing the time for them to accomplish this task as it may not have been available at home.

          One day, I had my students move their desks into groups so they could help each other study.  When time was up, they did as told, and began to move their desks back in order.  This is when my principal made a surprise visit to my class.  Out of nowhere, over my shoulder, came this booming voice reprimanding my students.  Standing in the doorway my principal screamed, “What are you doing?  Why are you out of your seats and moving desks around?” The students were alarmed and so was I because he never made an inquiry as to what was taking place. He immediately jumped to conclusions. They quickly straightened up the room and sat down quietly while I tried to smooth over this tense situation. 

          Before I could explain what was happening, the principal began reprimanding me in front of my class.  I remained calm and after he finished his tirade, I began to explain what had taken place.  All the students were quiet except for one student named Amos, who kept trying to get my attention.  I was standing behind my desk with my chair pulled out to my left side.  My principal was standing to the right of me.  Amos was sitting in the back of the first row, directly across from my desk.  He began to whisper, Miss, Miss.  The majority of my students in this part of the Bronx, hailed from Spanish speaking countries. Amos was of Puerto Rican heritage and his accent made the word Miss, sound like Meese.

          I turned to Amos and calmly said, “Be quiet, I am speaking with the principal.” I continued with my explanation when once again I heard, “Meese, Meese.”  Again, I addressed Amos, “You are being rude, sit still and be quiet.”  Once more, I turned to the principal and Amos calls out, “Meese,” with a little more urgency in his voice.  Now I am getting short tempered because his behavior was confirming that I did not have proper classroom management. This time, with a little more authority in my voice I said, “Amos, be quiet!”  And he still responded, “But Meese! There is a mouse, by your foot!”  I looked down and sure enough there was a black mouse by my right foot.  The mouse was standing perfectly still as if he too was afraid of getting in trouble by the principal. 

          In one giant leap, I was on top of my chair.  Thank God, I didn’t scream or that would have been held against me as well.  The principal tore me a brand new one for being a grown woman, afraid of a little mouse.  When he finished putting me in my place he stormed out of the classroom. I closed the door behind him.  The mouse ran off into hiding and the students and I had a good laugh.