Date of Award
Fall 1991
Document Type
Dissertation - Restricted
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Education
First Advisor
Augenstein, John
Second Advisor
Fox, Robert
Third Advisor
Martin, Thomas J.
Abstract
Anyone having had experience with elementary schools has heard the expression, "You know who really runs that school," or "If you really want the answer, ask the school secretary." Likewise, principals often defer to the secretary for answers to questions regarding general school operation. Because of these observations, secretaries are often accused of taking over, but often if the secretary did not take over the many general operational tasks, no one else would. The secretary becomes a creature of necessity, functioning more as an- administrative assistant to the principal than as an elementary school secretary. Often, building principals can become somewhat lost when their secretaries are absent even for brief periods of time...