Almost every student knows who the assistant principals are – or at least what they look like. While most students think they are here to tell them to put their identification cards on, they have many responsibilities outside of what most people see.

Assistant principals have three main requirements that need to be met: ensuring safety, observing classrooms and maintaining flexibility. But above all else, they are here to support the students and the teachers. 

AP’s handle student issues and discipline along with making sure school policies and safety requirements are being followed by students and staff. 

“Safety and security is job number one for us because if we are not safe and secure, then no learning can take place,” Assistant Principal Tony Trevino said. 

Standard Response Protocols are also in the hands of assistant principals.

“We are charged with the task of making sure that we know how to evacuate, lock down, shelter in place, and weather drills,” Trevino said. 

APs have the duty of implementing safety measures at football games on campus as well. Every assistant principal has a responsibility to adhere to before, during and after games, and each one has a different duty.Douglass, Doege and Trevino help people park their cars before football games. 

“We are mostly down where the handicap parking is, and we help people get parked,” said Douglass. 

Once it gets closer to the game starting, every assistant principal goes to their ‘spot’ that they are in charge of.

Douglass’ area is near the concession stands and bathrooms. 

“Usually it’s a little bit crazy because that’s where the middle school and elementary school kids are running around,” Douglass said. “It’s basically just watching that area to make sure the kids are not acting crazy and messing with the adults.”

Trevino works with the school resource officers and the police officers to make sure everything is running smoothly while AP Melissa McIlwain and Doege are assigned to the student section. 

“Our job is to just make sure that students are complying with school policy,” Mcllwain said.

A more noticed obligation assistant principals have is observing. They are greeting students at the front entrance, standing at the cafeterias, peeking into classrooms and even standing outside the bathrooms. 

“I don’t think I was prepared for as many observations of student activity that we do,” Trevino said.

 Assistant principals spend any free time they have observing students.

“There is not a time of day that we’re not observing.” Mcllwain said. Besides monitoring hallways and cafeterias, assistant principals perform classroom walkthroughs after holding preconferences with teachers about how they will incorporate group learning and their lesson planning. 

“We go sit through the whole class and give feedback to the teachers,” Douglass said. 

Afterward, APs will hold a post conference meeting to talk about the positives from the observation as well as what could be improved. 

At the end of the year there is a third meeting. 

“It’s about planning, classroom environment, teaching techniques and professionalism,” Douglass said.

An assistant principal’s job is versatile and requires constant flexibility. An AP will substitute for teachers, clean tables, and even pick up trash. 

“You name it, an assistant principal can do just about anything in this school,” Trevino said. 

Interruptions often occur during the school day, making it difficult to stick to a set schedule.“You’re constantly prioritizing the information that’s coming at you,” Douglass said. “Everyday is different.”

The APs often work together to keep up with abrupt changes and challenges that come with their jobs.

“We see ourselves as a team of people,” Trevino said. “We don’t bat an eye at stopping what we are doing and dropping everything to go and help one of our teammates whenever they need us.”

Even though assistant principals have numerous amounts of responsibilities, viewing students succeed makes all the difference. 

“Sometimes we get thank you letters, and that stuffs nice, but what really makes the job rewarding is when we see different  students achieve things,” Trevino said. 

Douglass also enjoys seeing students shine in their events. 

“I love going to the games;I like watching kids perform; I like going to plays; I think it’s all amazing.” Douglass said. 

For McIIwain, the ability to witness students see the upside of school highlights her days. “I just enjoy seeing our students getting the full high school experience,” McIIwain said.

Although assistant principals often get a bad wrap because they handle student punishment, APs are on campus to assure students succeed.

“There’s way more to it than people think,” Trevino said.“A lot of the time students see the badge and the radio and think we are there to punish you and be an enemy of sorts.You guys don’t have bigger fans, bigger supporters, than the team of assistant principals.”