The person in charge of the day-to-day operations of a school is called the principal. Private schools prefer to call this role the headmaster or headmistress. These people are responsible for achieving the school’s mission and improving overall performance. In simple terms, they can be compared to the CEO of a company. The headmaster is accountable to the board of directors/trustees and oversees everything from academic performance, staff/faculties, development activities, to community involvement, etc.
Education and Qualifications
Most headmasters start with a bachelor’s degree and are passionate about teaching and working with school students. So, they begin their careers as teachers. As they get involved in school activities, some show more interest in administrative duties and become department chairs or take on similar roles. At some point, they may decide to do a master’s degree in educational administration/leadership or associated areas. While there are no strict requirements for private schools, most headmasters pursue graduate study based on their interests and passions. But to serve public schools, most states require a license and a master’s degree in education administration.
Responsibilities and a Day in the Life
Though schools are “only” open approximately nine months a year and 8 hours a day, there is always something happening in schools, ranging from early morning sports practices to late-night fine-art rehearsals. Many events also happen over the weekend, and they can be either on the school campus or at another school. So, while headmasters may not be present at every one of these, their actions, planning, and diligence are what allows the cogs of the machine to turn smoothly.
Daily responsibilities vary based on many factors; some of them include the following:
- Running the school based on board policy and complying with state/national requirements
- Periodically meeting with the board to discuss the current state of events and next steps.
- Overseeing all school operations; meeting with leadership teams including the heads of upper/middle/lower schools, athletic directors, communications directors, IT directors, admissions directors, security officers, catering directors, etc.
- Hiring/retaining faculty and staff and getting board approval
- Conducting annual performance evaluations for employees.
- Setting up processes and procedures to ensure smooth business operation.
- Preparing/managing the budget and overseeing the finance/accounting department
- Leading, developing, and maintaining a curriculum and other programs to meet the goals of the school
- Overseeing teacher and student schedules and evaluating school performance through internal audits and actual academic and extracurricular results compared to peer schools
- Defining and administering student disciplinary measures
- Maintaining relationships with parents and the student body
- Resolving any problems between various parties, including staff/faculties, students, parents, etc.
- Ensuring all records are adequately maintained and that measures are in place to protect personal information.
- Overseeing admissions-related activities like Open House, School Tour, admission testing, student selection, admissions, etc.
- Overseeing health and counseling departments
- In boarding schools, overseeing all administrative duties of residence halls
- Maintaining good public relations through the communications department (newsletters, portals, and other means)
- Supervising all activities related to fundraising, banquets, and other promotional programs
- Acting as the public face of the school by maintaining a community presence
- If the school is faith-based, the headmaster may also be responsible for any chapel services and related activities.
Other Necessary Skills
- Superior communication skills
- Organizational and Interpersonal skills
- Problem resolving skills
- Ability to learn and oversee various functions
- Strong leadership skills
Career Progression
Most headmasters choose the following path (in a K-12 school):
Teacher -> Department Head -> Assistant Headmaster of Middle School or Upper School -> Head of Middle or Upper School -> Headmaster of the School
Though many follow this route, there is no defined path to become a headmaster.
Salary
- Salary can vary based on the school size, experience, location, etc. According to BLS, the median salary for school principals is about $99K. But in private schools, this number varies significantly; in many cases, the compensation could be above $200K. This role may also come with other perks like housing, a bonus, etc.
Job Growth
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics does not separately track headmaster jobs; it has details related to principals, equivalent to headmasters. While the principal is widely used, the headmaster term is mainly used for private schools. According to BLS, there were about…
- 292K school principals in 2021
- The job outlook from 2021 to 2031 is 5% which is on par with the average job growth.
- Employment change 14K (2021 to 31)
Summary
If you are someone who finds the following characteristics of this job appealing, you can consider being a headmaster as your future career:
- Teaching and being surrounded by students
- Building relationships with a community that consists of students, staff, faculties, parents, board members, the local community, etc.
- Listening actively
- Consulting the necessary advisors to make important decisions
- You are fair and consistent in implementing policies and taking disciplinary actions.
