The Principal Author:Benjamin Siegel Vigorous, hot-tempered, likable, and a man of strong convictions, Robert Evans takes over as high-school principal in a typical American community that has been changed from quiet country villae to booming suburb. Under the permissive administration of his predecessor, a school now attended by almost a thousand students has gotten out of hand; a... more »nd the difficulties Evans faces are intensified because of the affection with which the townspeople still regard the retired Johnny Loomis.
The new principal must contend with problems of discipline and organization, with bad teachers protected by tenure, with a curriculum that sometimes seems preposterous, and with a school board and a superintendent firmly committed to mediocrity. There are, as well, more personal matters: Evans's lingering shock over the death of his wife; his compassion for such students as Joseph Maxwell, the wistful backwoods bay; his friendship with a tough, embittered, intellectual school custodian; and, above all, his growing love for a young English teacher.
"The Principal" is a swift-moving and absorbing novel, and the things it has to say about secondary education in America- sound and sensible, challenging and controversial- make it a stimulating and timely one.« less