In order to complete this activity, I met with NH, our US principal and spent time with him at the start of August, talking about start-up procedures for the school year. These tasks fell into two major categories, what he called “the nuts and bolts” and the “vision stuff.”
Nuts and bolts
This category included details like class rosters, supplies and textbooks, finalizing dates on calendar events and completing repairs. These tasks actually begin before the school year ends and make up, in NH’s estimation, about 40% of his summer workload.
Much of the student-related work happens very late in the summer, including things like assigning students and teachers to classes. He can’t make final decisions until enrollment is settled so many of these actually aren’t finalized until after classes begin in the fall.
Other Nuts and Bolts details, like textbook and supply orders must be done before teachers leave for the summer. So, as final exams are going on, the staff is already looking ahead and thinking about school supplies and books for the coming school year. Nothing is ordered yet, but lists are built and Purchase Orders are prepared. It is only after the new school year’s budget is open that purchasing can happen, so things usually aren’t ordered until late July.
The Vision Stuff
NH said this took up the other 60% of his summer work time and included issues like planning orientation for teachers and staff, setting goals for staff development, organizing presentation of assessment data and creating new courses and programs. He explained that, in previous years, this sort of work had to wait until early August, when faculty started to reappear on campus but now, thanks to email and internet communications, he is able to more easily reach faculty on vacation and they seem to be more willing to work an hour or two on a project in this arena.