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‘Helping students in a different way’
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Posted on Jan 13 2009
During her short tenure, first-year principal Rizalina M. Purugganan has learned the difference between being a teacher and being in charge of an entire school. As principal of Koblerville Elementary School, she oversees 463 students. Here she answers some questions.
[B]
Question: What is your background?
Answer:[/B] I have 14 years of experience in teaching. I graduated from Framingham State College with a master’s degree in education in 2006. This is my first year as principal. I was very active in PSS leadership before, including as the science coordinator.
[B]
Q: What is the best thing about being a principal?
A:[/B] The best thing is you are helping the students in a different degree. You are able to work with teachers at a different level. You become close with the teachers and parents, and you become involved with a lot of different things in the school.
[B]
Q: What is the hardest part about being a principal?
A:[/B] The thing about it is I’ve been used to doing a lot of things in the leadership position and I became used to that. So far, though, I don’t see anything difficult yet with being a principal.
A:[/B] Our goal really is to maintain the high student achievement, or increase student achievement. We also have a goal to maintain the safety in the school and for students to become achievers and productive individuals.
A:[/B] I’ve leaned a lot from being principal. I learned how to help the school at a different level. Before when I was a teacher, I just had to take care of curriculum instruction, but now I have to look at every aspect of the education system, like doing financial reports. That’s one thing. I learned how to work with other companies so that we could get more funding for our schools. [B]Q: What do you do in your free time?
A:[/B] I do things as a housewife, doing chores at home. I spend time with my family when I have free time.
