Question

Presidential Succession (Mini Lesson)
Starter Activity
Who Succeeds?
Talk about bad timing. You just found out that your school’s principal is stepping down, effective
immediately! Your school has no idea what to do. Who takes over? Who should succeed?? Create a
succession plan for the school that answers the questions below.
• Who steps in for the principal?
• Does this person become your new permanent principal? Why or why not?
• If that person is not available to step in, who should make everyday decisions for the school? What
qualifies that person to take charge?
• Could the school function without a replacement for the principal? Why or why not
make it short like a paraghraph like a 9th grader wrote it.

Answer 1

If the principal suddenly leaves, the assistant principal should step in right away because they already know how the school runs and handle discipline, schedules, and meetings. That person would be the interim principal, not necessarily the permanent one, because the school should still hold a search to find the best long-term leader. If the assistant principal is not available, the lead teacher or department head should make everyday decisions since they know the teachers and routines and have leadership experience. The school could function for a short time without a permanent replacement because staff can keep classes and rules going, but long term it needs a permanent principal to set goals, handle budgets, and make big decisions.