The Individual Narratives

Abstract

Chapter 3 introduces the eight secondary school assistant principals. It describes their reasons for becoming assistant principals, their pre-role preparation and learning, and the factors and processes that bring coherence and meaning to their journey. While they arrived at the administrative threshold through the common route of the department headship, each individual brought different histories, philosophical orientations, and identities with them. The assistant principals are introduced according to the number of years they have been assistant principals, progressing from the most recently promoted to the most experienced. These profiles provide a personal context for their reasons for choosing an administrative pathway, their preparation for the journey, their successes and challenges, and their vision for the future.