1. THE PRINCIPAL DECISION MAKER
“Ultimately, success is determined not by one's knowledge, but by one's ability to influence, to
lead”
(Bossi, 2007, ¶23)
I. The Principal Decision Maker Principles/approaches
As the school environment continues to become a more diverse society, “racially,
linguistically and culturally” (Interstate school… 1996, p. 6), the researcher recognizes these
areas will present additional challenges to principals in the future. To complement work on
future issues relating to the principal decision maker role principles/approaches, the researcher
plans to “promote a positive learning culture, provide an effective instructional program, and
apply best practices to student learning, especially in the area of reading and other foundational
skills” (Florida educational …, 2005, p. 2). As poverty will likely increase, the researcher
anticipates an accompanying decline in physical, mental, and moral well-being indexes. In turn,
social capital stock is expected to decrease.
For the future increasing global marketplace, with increasing reliance on
technology, and a myriad of economic and social concerns/issues, the principal’s role is to
prepare the students to succeed, despite growing challenges. Challenges, the researcher realizes,
mandate that the principal employ new types of leadership in schools and ensure he serves as an
effective decision maker.
II. The Principal Decision Maker Information
New information the researcher acquired to change the understanding relating to the
principal decision maker role relates to the revelation that a vital first step in this role is to
counter the dearth of introspective vision the principle needs to completely understand particular,

2. challenging dynamics. The principal must make routine decisions regarding administrative
shortages and specific characteristics that surround his/her position. He/she must define the
interconnections between school leaders, as well as the respective organizational environment
the teachers, along with the principal work in (McGarity & Maulding, 2007). Principles also
perform best, the researcher learned, when they strive not just to survive, but to succeed.
III. The Principal Decision Maker Generalization
Ecology, a word derived from the Greek oikos (home) and logos (to study), denotes the
scientific study of the interactions between organisms and their environment, In a figurative
sense, the relationship between the principal decision maker and his/her community could serve
a particular ecology. Along with having to contend with external directives the state and federal
governments establish by mandates, fortified by social pressures, the principle decision maker
must also regularly interact and make decisions in line with “the classical organizational, human
relations and behavioral science approaches to administrative practices” (McGarity & Maulding,
2007, ¶ 41).
As the principle also contends with heavy emphasis on student test scores, performances
by subgroups, as well as school ratings, he/she regularly confronts community challenges that
may not specifically relate directly to the school environment and/or district. Consequently, the
principle must expand his/her understanding of the school environment, along with the district
school climate to include the community’s perception (McGarity & Maulding, 2007).
IV. The Principal Decision Maker Questions
In regard to the principal decision maker, the researcher contends that more study could
prove beneficial in the area of challenges/solutions for the new principal decision maker who

3. plans to implement changes when veteran teachers do not particularly care to invest in changing
instructional tactics/practices (Bossi, 2007).
V. The Principal Decision Maker Perspective
From the researcher’s examination of the issue of principal decision maker perspective,
the researcher learned of the need and potential benefits accompanying a personal ecology.
Examples of a principle decision maker’s “personal ecology include race, gender, local or
cosmopolitan commitments, leadership style and interpersonal skills, such as communication,
flexibility, patience, charisma, emotional intelligence and financial interest” (McGarity &
Maulding, 2007, ¶ 12).
Professional ecology, on the other hand, concentrates on the administrative factors that
directly involve the position the principle decision maker fills. This would include the principle
decision maker’s years of experience in each education position; his/her leadership role, his/her
educational preparation and training, “retirement and personal financial autonomy relating to the
profession, time commitments to the organization, accessibility, personnel decision-making
ability, state and federal mandate awareness, collaborative or empowering decision-making use
and job satisfaction” (McGarity & Maulding, 2007, ¶18). Other types of ecology the principle
decision maker may wish to explore include, but are not limited to:
1. Financial Ecology
2. District Ecology
3. Community Ecology
V. The Principal Decision Maker Implementation
Diane, one second-year principal, purports that the “process” of becoming a principal
constitutes a growing process. “No one can fully be prepared to meet the unique demands of

4. the job,” Diane contends, No one can fully understand “the principalship until [he/]she is in the
leader's chair” Bossi, 2007, ¶2) To implement the newly acquired knowledge principal decision
maker knowledge, the researcher obtained in regard to the role of an educational leader, the
researcher plans to secure and relate guidance, support and reflective growth personally and
professionally.
VII. The Principal Decision Maker Experiences
As Bossi (2007) recounts, the principal's role shifted from past practices of managing and
evaluating individual instructors to currently creating and maintaining data-driven collaborative
cultures. One of the researcher’s previous experiences that proved helpful in examining the
principal decision maker occurred during a directed study. The researcher learned from this
experience to first “understand and fully appreciate and respect the 'way things are done around
here' before making [decisions to make] significant changes” (Bossi, 2007, ¶ 6).
VIII. The Principal Decision Maker Opinions
In regard to points of differing opinions relating to the principal decision maker, the
researcher only somewhat differs with the point: “Ultimately, success is determined not by one's
knowledge, but by one's ability to influence, to lead” (Bossi, 2007, ¶ 23). The researcher
contends that one’s knowledge does vitally impact one’s ability to influence, to lead and in turn,
does contribute to his/her success. Along with knowledge and the ability to influence and lead,
albeit, as a principle strives to succeed, when he learns how to use the inherent stress in the role
of the principal decision maker to motivate him/her, he/she will more likely make better
decisions to contribute to his/her, the students, the staff and the school’s success.

5. References
Bossi, Mike. (2007). Revolutionary leadership: ACSA is committed to providing the support
new principals need to understand and guide complex processes of evaluation, change
and group development. (Association of California School Administrators). Leadership.
Association of California School Administrators. Retrieved March 31, 2009 from
HighBeam Research: http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-164523002.html
Florida educational leadership standards understanding and implementing Florida’s new
principal leadership standards. (2005). Florida Department of Education. Retrieved
March 31, 2009 from http://74.125.93.104/custom?
q=cache:0jXkGKj9C1cJ:www.fldoe.org/board/meetings/2
05_01_18/PrincipalStandards.pdf+principal+leadership+standards&cd=1&hl=en&ct=cl
&gl=us&client=google-coop-np
Interstate school leaders licensure consortium standards for school leaders.(1996). Council of
Chief State School Officers State Education Assessment Center. Retrieved March 31,
2009 from http://www.ccsso.org/content/pdfs/isllcstd.pdf
McGarity, Augustus C., III & Maulding, Wanda. (2007). Administrative ecology: understanding
the relationship among school leaders, the organization and the community environment
to dispel claims about the 'impossibility' of the superintendency. School Administrator.
American Association of School Administrators. Retrieved March 31, 2009 from
HighBeam Research: http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-163063788.html

6. References
Bossi, Mike. (2007). Revolutionary leadership: ACSA is committed to providing the support
new principals need to understand and guide complex processes of evaluation, change
and group development. (Association of California School Administrators). Leadership.
Association of California School Administrators. Retrieved March 31, 2009 from
HighBeam Research: http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-164523002.html
Florida educational leadership standards understanding and implementing Florida’s new
principal leadership standards. (2005). Florida Department of Education. Retrieved
March 31, 2009 from http://74.125.93.104/custom?
q=cache:0jXkGKj9C1cJ:www.fldoe.org/board/meetings/2
05_01_18/PrincipalStandards.pdf+principal+leadership+standards&cd=1&hl=en&ct=cl
&gl=us&client=google-coop-np
Interstate school leaders licensure consortium standards for school leaders.(1996). Council of
Chief State School Officers State Education Assessment Center. Retrieved March 31,
2009 from http://www.ccsso.org/content/pdfs/isllcstd.pdf
McGarity, Augustus C., III & Maulding, Wanda. (2007). Administrative ecology: understanding
the relationship among school leaders, the organization and the community environment
to dispel claims about the 'impossibility' of the superintendency. School Administrator.
American Association of School Administrators. Retrieved March 31, 2009 from
HighBeam Research: http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-163063788.html