To m e [educational ] administratio n i s b y an d larg e management . I don't see a school administrator as being the instructional leader particularly. Fm not an instructional leader; I'm a school manager. I manage. School Principal in conversation with the author

In this chapter, the words of a high school principal are used to display a particular perspective on a number of common administrative themes. These themes-familiar i n the literature of educational administration-deal with issues suc h a s student behavior , codes o f conduct , th e hirin g an d firin g o f school staff , th e goal s o f schooling , th e supervisio n o f teacher s an d more . However, in this study it is the principal's discursive manner of approaching these topic s tha t i s the mai n focu s o f attention, particularly a s his manne r and his approach impinge on the lives of teachers, students, parents and others. Wha t thi s principal' s narrativ e descriptio n o f hi s rol e a s principa l demonstrates i s th e prevalenc e o f a highl y managerialize d conceptio n o f educational administration-on e heavil y influenced b y techniques from, bu t more powerfully b y the language ^business managemen t concepts-whic h is the conventional manner in which the practice of educational administra - tion is conceptualized today .