Career Profiles Education Administrator
Educational Administratoris a very broad term, one that can cover every level of education from pre-schools, day cares, public and private schools, colleges, universities, trade and technical schools, or even training managers for large business corporations. No matter at which level one is employed, there are many commonalities between each of these careers.
Most of these positions require at least a Master’s degree, and in colleges and universities a PhD. may be preferred as they often have several different levels of administration, ranging from the President, to the Vice President, to the Registrar, all of which fall into this same broad occupational category. The exception to this rule is daycare/preschool Administrators, which require some sort of preschool education credential, but not necessarily a degree.Administrators in public schools,such as principals, are required to be licensed and to take continuing educational courses to keep themselves and their licenses current.
Each of these facets of educational administration will also require superior interpersonal skills. The administrator will often have to deal with disgruntled students who may not have received the grade or class they wanted, or the angry parent who is not happy with their child’s progress, or even an adult learner who did not receive their Veteran’s education benefits in a timely manner. The administrator must be able to diffuse tense situations while resolving the student/parent grievance without violating school policy.
An Educational Administrator may also be required to compile and maintainthe yearly budgetfor their section or facility. In smaller facilities, such as a director for an off-site location of a larger, brick and mortar university, this may also require collection of tuition and fees, and initiating collection procedures against those students with overdue balances.
Reports are also a significant segment of an Educational Administrator’s job. Primary, middle and high schools must report daily student attendance as a requirement for state funding. Recent state mandates also require not only reports on teachers’ performance, but on the school's performance as a whole. Maintaining and/or improving both these performance measures are also an essential aspect of the job.
At the college or university level, the administrator may also be responsible for keeping the necessary records and reports to ensure that the school will retain its accreditation, such as from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, which is essential for state-funded schools. During these difficult financial times, theEducational Administratormay also be required to detail their student counts each semester, their recruiting efforts, and the efficiency of their advertising efforts (Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2011).
Some of the other responsibilities that may be required of an Educational Administrator include the scheduling of classes, researching the need for new classes, finding qualified instructors to teach, counseling students regarding their progression through their program, or on their options for financial aid, certifying veterans for their benefits, and so forth.
The outlook for Educational Administrators is good, with an expected increase of approximately 8 percent by 2018. Much of this is due to the many adults currently in need of either further training to expand their current job, or retraining to obtain new employment.
The job of an Educational administrator does not always follow a 9:00 to 5:00 schedule, and they often find themselves working more than40 hours per week, often on nights and weekends.
Needless to say, it can be a very stressful job, but also a very rewarding one for the right individual.
