ABSTRACT

At a recent meeting of elementary and secondary school principals, the question arose: what is the most difficult aspect of your job as an administrator? Without hesitation, one veteran principal piped up: “For me, the most difficult part of the job is dealing with parents, especially parents in denial, parents who demand that their child be treated as an exception, parents with unrealistic expectations.” This principal elaborated that she felt these very parents make excessive demands on her time and on the energy of her colleagues. “They just do not appreciate what we can and cannot do in the school setting.” While there are numerous demands placed on educational leaders each day, there may be nothing more frustrating and time consuming than parents whose sense of entitlement can drain us emotionally and physically.