Public schools are operated at the state level through departments of education, and locally by school districts and publicly elected or appointed school boards. This section will provide details on the various school personnel, school system funding and policies.

Building and District Leaders

When your child first begins school, it is helpful to know the roles various school personnel play in the operation of the educational process. As in other organizations, there is a hierarchy of those roles. Since most of your communication will take place in your child’s individual school, the employees there are the main ones about whom you need to know. The district office also has personnel assigned to support the building administration, teachers, staff, and students, as well as parents and guardians.

The following lists show titles of personnel that may be in these two locations: Individual Schools and District Office.

In a typical school, teachers are supervised and evaluated by the principal; if there are assistant principals, they support the principal by helping to supervise and evaluate teachers. The principal reports to the superintendent who in turn reports to the school board. The subject area and grade level consultants or directors provide support to schools by assisting with current information critical to making sure school personnel have the resources needed to provide the best educational opportunities to students.

Whom should you contact regarding questions or concerns about your child’s education?

The best person to contact if you have questions about your child’s school experience is his or her teacher. If you need more support or are unable to reach the teacher, contact the school office for an appointment with the building administration. They will provide the help and information you need. It is possible that you will want to talk with someone at the district office if you feel you need more information than you receive at the building level. In that case, a phone call to the district office is appropriate. Their operator will connect you to the best person for meeting your need.