Qualifications

• The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction oversees the certification of elementary school principals in Washington. New principals initially obtain a residency certificate by having a master's degree and current teaching certificate, completing an approved administrator education program, and verifying instructional experience as an educator. A Professional Administrator certificate is earned by elementary principals who complete additional coursework and a professional growth plan. Additional requirements of prospective principals include fingerprinting, character and fitness questions regarding personal background and criminal history, and verification of good standing of any certificates held in other states.
  
  

Responsibilities

• An elementary school principal is a school's top educator, according to the Office of the Education Ombudsman, and should provide vision and guidance to increase student achievement. A principal manages the daily operations of the school as well as all staff members and the student body. The school district superintendent oversees a principal's performance and implements the school board's mission and directives. As an educational leader, a principal designs staff development programs and coordinates with the appropriate trainers as needed. Principals are also responsible for implementing safety procedures in the event of a natural disaster and establishing standards for student behavior.
  
  

Salaries

• According to data collected by the Employment Security Department, the average salary of a elementary or secondary school administrator in Washington, as of 2010, is $79,257. Shoreline School District, just north of Seattle, pays an elementary school principal $107,972, as of 2011. The Tacoma News Tribune compiled a list of elementary school principals' salaries, which range from $65,139 in the Federal Way School District to $133,305 in the Lake Washington School District. Some principals' salaries are fixed, while others may be calculated by using a scale based on years of experience and level of education attained by the principal.
  
  

Benefits

• In addition to salary, many public school administrators receive benefits packages providing health care coverage and other supplemental stipends. In the Shoreline School District, for example, administrators receive reimbursement for membership dues for professional organizations, and an annual stipend for professional development courses. Principals are given 12 days annually for sick leave or injury, and 27 vacation days in Shoreline. A one-year sabbatical leave is available to elementary school principals, at a reduced salary rate, with approval of the superintendent. Other benefits include cell phone and mileage reimbursement for school-related costs, and up to five days of pay for offsite or on-call work.