A Second Search? Considering a Vice Principal

At the end of the 2014-15 school year, Principal Hassan will step down from his position at the Academy. With the search for a new principal well under way, we can’t help but think what kind of person, or people, will best lead our school. It’s a huge job to serve as principal in a school as large and prestigious as Exeter. The principal assumes a lot of responsibility, both on and off campus, not only directing and representing the school, but leading it as well.Such a comprehensive post can be daunting, and perhaps would be more effectively divided between two people, one assuming the role of principal, the other as vice-principal. Instead of stretching the role and forcing the principal to choose between his or her presence on campus and representing Exeter internationally, the principal can focus all of his or her time and energy on just one aspect, to ensure that both duties are fulfilled to the greatest extent possible.One of the principal’s chief concerns should be to unify the school and foster school spirit. If the principal is too busy to both maintain a relationship with the student body and manage the school, then the Academy risks jeopardizing one of those two essential duties. To divide the role into two more manageable positions, the Academy could have a vice-principal as well as a principal. The principal could specialize on managing the school and focus on external affairs, while the vice principal could manage internal affairs and develop a deeper relationship with the students and campus. Furthermore, a vice-principal could also offer a sometimes much needed second opinion.Exeter lacks school spirit and a vice-principal could be responsible for creating a more spirited atmosphere inside the school. For example, Andover is supposed to be our rival, but Exonians often perpetuate the rumor that Andover is a better school and is frequently chosen over Exeter. Instead of supporting Exeter and advocating our school, sometimes Exonians concede, on nothing more than wild rumor, that Andover is more fun. Exonians also lack spirit at sports matches; students leave football games at halftime if we are losing or if it starts drizzling, but at other schools, weekend football games are a central and unifying social activity. It feels as if Exonians aren’t die-hard fans and generally lack school pride. The very fact that we are mentioning this in our Op-Ed says something about the degree of school spirit at Exeter.A vice-principal could work to create a more spirited environment at the Academy. If Exeter had a vice-principal present in everyday affairs who exemplifies the school’s virtues, we’d have more school spirit. Instead of propagating rumors that Andover students have more fun (which, we still contest, is believed simply because they don’t work as hard as us), Exonians would squash these rumors as false and display more pride in being an Exonian. A vice principal could bring about a monumental change to the general atmosphere on campus and create a more tight knit community.Additionally, if we had a vice-principal focused completely on campus affairs, the principal would be free to pursue more off-campus endeavors, which in turn bolsters our school’s reputation. Beyond that, because the principal and vice-principal would work very closely together, if one of them retires, there would still be a familiar leader on campus that can lead the school as well as train the incoming principal or vice-principal. Learning the intricacies and adjusting to the policies of the school can threaten the success of a new principal’s first few years at the Academy, but with a vice-principal already in place, he or she could smooth and reduce the transition period.As the search for the new principal continues, we think that the Academy should keep an open mind to the idea of a vice-principal to supplement the role of the new principal. Although it's not ideal, there are potential benefits that should be carefully weighed against the costs. We’re not saying it’s the correct decision, but perhaps it is a way to breathe a breath of fresh air into this campus and revitalize the school and redefine what it means to be an Exonian. Pride in your alma mater is an essential aspect of a school’s reputation and a strong indication of the state of the student body. Non sibi is an important goal, and promoting goodness is admirable, but Exeter and Exonians in general also need to remember to do things that benefit themselves and the school, and perhaps a vice-principal is one of them.