the singing principal

the singing principal

fiction
edward w pritchard

The assistant superintendent had his back to the wall. His iron clad rule was about to be obliterated. Circumstance was forcing him to move a successful school principal from one inner city school to another seven miles away.

The singing principal was very successful. She was blessed with two excellent assistant principals and both were ambitious and wanted her job. They both worked hard and did the unpleasant tasks necessary to maintain discipline and control so the teachers could teach, the good students could learn and the standardized test could be passed. In fact the singing principal got so good at her job that she became bored. In an effort to keep herself highly motivated and to entertain the staff and students she began to sing the announcements throughout the day. In time she made the school seem like a sound stage for a Bollywood musical about high school. However, despite the frivolity she was one of the most successful principals in the local school system.

Another Principal only seven miles away from the singing principal was having lots of trouble at her school. She had upset the parents, teachers and substitute teachers with her methods. She took we are management and you work for us attitude and it did not go over well. Teacher's to make a point called in sick more than usual, substitutes would not go to that school, and parents began to scream. The students who were about 13 years old sensed the lack of unity and took advantage. In time the Assistant superintendent had a mess on his hands. His boss the superintendent was besieged by the newspapers, teachers union, and community. One day the superintendent got a call from one of the local business people, clean up that situation or we will find another head guy.

The superintendent called the assistant superintendent and the assistant super called the singing principal. He told her directly you "just got a promotion and a raise". You start over at the troubled junior high Monday. He Oked her continuing her singing there. In fact she could do what she thought best, just clean up the mess.
end part 1