Most people don’t give a whole lot of thought to school principals. They see them merely as the person at the top of the school’s hierarchy and nothing more. Contrary to this belief, we say that school principals serve a very important role in schools, particularly in the modern educational system.

They help foster a climate of growth, ensure that students have access to educational opportunities, and empower the staff to make decisions based on data. That’s why it’s important for people to celebrate their local principals by observing October as National Principals Month. This is a month to show school principals just how important their contributions to education really are.

The History of National Principals Month

Even though we’re unsure of when National Principals Month was created or who created it, we do know that it has been around for quite a few years now. We also know that it is currently supported by several different organizations such as the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), and the American Federation of School Administrators (AFSA).

Some Quick Facts About School Principals

We think that people don’t know a lot about school principals because they rarely have to interact with them. That’s why we decided that we would take a few moments to dig up some facts about principals that we think will inform people about school principals and what they do.

• As of 2022, there are over 43,000 school principals currently employed in the U.S.
• It has been estimated that 44.6% of school principals are men, while 55.4% are women.
• The average age of a currently employed school principal is 46 years old.
• The average starting salary of a school principal is $86,000 per year.
• The top 10% of all school principals can earn as much as $147,000 per year.
• Approximately 15% of all school principals are members of the LGBTQ+ community.
• The most common ethnicity of school principals is White, followed by Hispanic or Latino principals, and then by African American principals.
• Approximately 68% of school principals are White, 14% are Hispanic or Latino, and 10.7% are African American.
• Principal turnover is a real problem that was exacerbated by the 2019 COVID-19 pandemic.
• Research shows that over half of all school principals are currently thinking about leaving their job.

Observing National Principals Month

People can observe this month by taking the time to thank the principal of their child’s school. This can be done with an in-person thank-you, a gift basket, or by giving a general shout-out to all principals on social media using the hashtag #NationalPrincipalsMonth.