Community leaders step into schools for principal for a day in Macon

Dozens of community members shadow Bibb County school principals to see the daily responsibilities of leading a campus

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Dozens of community members stepped inside Bibb County schools Tuesday to see firsthand what it takes to run a campus as part of the Principal for a Day program in Macon.

Participants spent the day shadowing school leaders, attending meetings and observing classrooms to get a closer look at the responsibilities principals handle every day.

At Matilda Hartley Elementary School, Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Commissioner Anthony Holloman spent the morning alongside Principal Dr. Chanelle Dixon.

Holloman said one of his first experiences of the day was greeting students as they arrived for school.

“I had the opportunity early to greet the students when their parents were dropping them off in the car rider line and the kids coming off the bus,” Holloman said. They were all coming in bright eyed, bushy tailed, giving the teachers hugs and getting prepared for the day.”

Throughout the morning, Holloman observed classrooms and meetings while learning about the many responsibilities that come with leading a school.

“Well seeing how the principal is responsible for the entire operation, from observation of teachers to discipline to strategy sessions, I’ve had a chance to do a whole bunch in the first part of the day,” Holloman said. “So they have a great responsibility.”

Dixon said the program allows community members to see the work that happens inside schools every day and better understand the role principals play in supporting students and staff.

She said she hopes the experience helps participants realize how involved principals are throughout the school day.

“We’re in the classrooms, we’re with teachers, we’re doing the work, we’re right there with the students,” Dixon said. “We’re not just instructional leaders, but we’re instructors as well.”