School Leadership
2.1. Leadership standards and roles
2.2. Selection and working conditions
2.3. Leadership preparation and training
3. Teachers, parents and students
3.1. School management committees and boards
4.1. Autonomy of school leaders
4.2. Assessment and accountability of school leaders
4.3. Teacher assessment by school leaders
1. Terminology
The 2015 Law on Preschool and School Education in Bulgaria uses the term “director” or директорите to describe school leaders. Article 257. (1) states that the “authority for management and control of state and municipal institutions in the preschool and school education system is the director. The director... manages and represents the relevant institution.”
The law uses the term “pedagogical specialists” to refer to teachers, educators, school directors, and deputy directors. The school director may be assisted by one or more deputy directors in the management and control of teaching, learning, and administrative activities.
2. School principals
2.1. Leadership standards and roles
Competency standards and leadership frameworks and guidelines
The functions, professional profiles, positions and professional qualifications necessary for school directors, as well as the conditions and procedure for raising the qualification, for their career development and for the attestation of pedagogical specialists, including the attestation criteria and the composition of the attestation commission, are determined by the 2019 State Educational Standard on the Status and Professional Development of Teachers, Directors and other Pedagogical Specialists (here forth referred to as the 2019 State Educational Standard). Annex 3 of the Standard (Ordinance № 15 as of 2019) contains the professional profile of Directors which defines the competencies necessary for occupying and performing the position.
Roles
Setting expectations/objectives: The director is in charge of the development and implementation of the institution’s regulations, rules, strategies, programs, plans, and mechanisms. The 2019 State Educational Standard further stipulates that the school head builds up a clear picture of the desired outcome of the school staff, in collaboration with them, to the achievement of the set goals. To do this, they determine the guidelines, goals, and tasks for the development of the educational institution and prepare an adequate plan for their implementation. The school head possesses the required knowledge and skills needed for strategic and operational planning, effectively implementing policies for the development of the institution. They are expected to implement the institutional policy within the context of the wider framework of the socio-economic and cultural environment of the educational institution.
Developing teaching and learning: According to the 2015 Law on Preschool and School Education, school heads are obliged to provide the necessary conditions for increasing the qualification of pedagogical professionals. The 2019 State Educational Standard stipulates that the school head of a state and municipal school is entitled to plan, organize and oversee the school activities, as well as bears the overall responsibility for the educational process and performance of the institution. They are also expected to take into account the outcomes from the institution’s activities and on this basis to come up with appropriate measures aimed to enhance the quality and efficiency of the institutional performance.
School heads are to create a healthy, safe, and positive environment for training, education, and work. They effectively plan, allocate, and manage human, material, financial, and information resources.
Promoting collaboration: The head of the educational institution works closely with the institution's various self-governing bodies, such as the Community Council and students’ representative bodies, while also chairing the Pedagogical Council. According to the 2019 State Educational Standard, the school director is supposed to actively interact with parents and representatives of various organizations and communities, as well as with social partners and stakeholders. They possess the competences to build sustainable relationships with stakeholders, exchange information and achieve mutual understanding and coordination of actions. Furthermore, school heads are expected to create strong partnership with parents and hold joint activities with social partners, local governing bodies, NGOs, and HEIs to create a beneficial and conductive learning environment.
Supporting staff development: The school head of the educational institution is expected to be a leader and provide for the ongoing professional development of the teaching staff, effectively. The 2019 State Educational Standard stipulates that the school director is to provide conditions for the improvement of the qualification and career development of pedagogical professionals. Furthermore, the school head is entrusted with the certification of pedagogical professionals. They also oversee how the teacher training plans are carried out and accomplished, as well as the involvement of the pedagogical professionals. School heads assign mentors to novice teachers, encourage and provides stimuli to all team members to participate in professional development activities, including in such, leading to upgrading of the qualification they hold.
Acting in accordance with the ethical principles of the profession: Every school has a school Code of Ethics which is accepted by all members of the school community including those in the pedagogical council, the community council, the board of trustees, and the student body.
Others: Other responsibilities of school heads include deciding on sanctions and disciplinary penalties for students and pedagogical professionals; keeping the school seal; and conducting or participating in research activities in the field of preschool and school education. Efficient use of digital technologies to improve students’ learning, also falls within the competence of school leaders. Based on the number of classes and the type of school, school heads may have compulsory teaching classes.
2.2. Selection and working conditions
Degree requirements and prior teaching experience
In compliance with the 2015 Law on Preschool and School Education, at least five years of teaching experience is necessary to occupy the position of “school director”. The 2019 State Educational Standard stipulates that school directors must have a master’s degree. Candidates must additionally have acquired the professional teacher qualification, in accordance with the 2022 Regulation on Conducting Competitions for the Position of "Director" in State and Municipal Institutions in the Preschool and School Education System. Required competencies include pedagogical, management, administrative, planning, organization, resource management, and social and civic competence.
Pedagogical professionals, who can be both teachers and school leaders, must have obtained higher education in the professional direction corresponding to the position. This must be in accordance with the National Classifier of Higher Education, professional fields, and professional qualifications. After graduation, the aspiring teacher must obtain further training and pass a state examination. Upon successful completion, the candidates’ aptitude for the profession and competencies acquired are certified. The completed education, the acquired specialty and the awarded or additionally acquired professional qualification are certified by a higher education diploma and a certificate for the obtained professional qualification, and/or by other credentials, as determined by the state requirements toward the content of the main documents, issued by the HEIs.
The state requirements for the acquisition of the professional qualification “teacher” are determined by an ordinance of the Council of Ministers.
Appointment decision
According to the 2015 Law on Preschool and School Education, the school heads of state schools are hired and terminated by the Minister of Education and Science. The head of the regional administration of education hires and terminates the employment contract of directors of the municipal schools. The selection of school heads is competitive and carried out by an appointed committee with the involvement of the school’s community council. This committee comprises of representatives of the regional directions of education (designated by the head of the regional direction of education concerned), a representative of the municipal administration (designated by the mayor of the municipality), as well as a representative of the community council. The competition includes a writen examination and interview.
The 2022 Regulation on Conducting Competitions for the Position of "Director" in State and Municipal Institutions in the Preschool and School Education System aims to guarantee an open and transparent competition procedure for the selection of school directors based on a unified system of evaluation and ranking.
Employment equity measures
The 2016 Equality between Women and Men Act provides for the balanced representation of women and men in all decision-making bodies, aiming to ensure the balanced participation of women in politics, governance and decision-making. However, there is no specific reference to school leaders. The 2023-24 National Action Plan for Promotion of Equality of Women and Men includes similar objectives, aiming to conduct systematic and targeted measures to improve the balance between women and men in managerial positions – with no explicit reference to school leadership positions.
Working conditions
School directors are hired under labor contracts. Neither school directors nor teachers are considered civil servants. Pedagogical professionals may be awarded honors and awards for exemplary performance of their duties. School heads also follow a career development ladder and they can be promoted to the second stage with at least five years of experience as a school director, given also that they have acquired a fourth or fifth professional qualification degree, and have been awarded with at least a “compliant with the requirements” grade during their last attestation.
According to Eurydice, “the basic salary of principals is determined on the basis of the “category” of the school (schools may be classified by the number of classes and other specific features, and the principal of the largest schools usually are entitled to receive the higher salary); also, depending on the personal qualification, e.g. whether holding a qualification or scientific degree, the length of service, and the quotient to the minimal working salary.”
The Collective Labour Agreement for the Pre-School and School Education System, signed as of 28.12.2023, determines the minimum basic salaries for the pedagogical professionals with leading functions - in force as of 01.01.2024, as follows:
2.1. School Director – 2 257 leva = € 1 157, 44
2.2. School Director with acquired second degree of their career development – 2 287 leva = € 1 172, 82
2.3. School Director with acquired first degree of their career development – 2 317 leva = € 1 188, 20
2.3. Leadership preparation and training
Pre-service training
The professional qualifications and the terms and conditions of their acquisition are determined by the 2019 State Educational Standard on the Status and Professional Development of Teachers, School Heads and other Pedagogical Specialists (Ordinance № 15 of the Minister of Education and Science). Competencies acquired are reflected in the professional portfolio of the pedagogical professional concerned. The professional portfolio compiles evidence that gives a proof of the person’s active participation in the implementation of the policy of the school, their professional achievements and advancement, namely their career growth, as well as their success stories with children and students. This portfolio supports the certification and self-assessment of the pedagogical professional.
The Minister of Education and Science is the one who sets up and maintains an information register of the approved training programmes designed for pedagogical professionals.
Induction and in-service training
The 2015 Law on Preschool and School Education stipulates that pedagogical professionals are to be granted to receive professional support in the process of performance of their duties, and to improve their qualification. Pedagogical professionals are supposed to maintain and improve their qualifications accordingly and therefore obliged to annually increase it in order to be able to improve the quality of their work and enhance the outcomes and quality of education of the children and students they teach. Their in-service training is carried out by specialized service units and training organizations whose training programmes are approved by the Ministry of Education and Science.
According to the 2019 State Educational Standard (Ordinance № 15 of the Minister of Education and Science), once the pedagogical professionals, including those in leadership positions, enter the profession and/or take up their role for the first time, they undertake the induction training and are assigned with a mentor to assist them methodologically and/or administratively. In-service (continuing) qualification trainings can be in different forms - courses, seminars, trainings, schools, workshops, lectures, and webinars. Per “certification period”, pedagogical professionals are obliged to improve their qualification and take at least 48 hours professional development classes, either from the specialized service units or the listed in the Register training organizations, plus 16 hours of internal training – organized and carried out within their schools.
3. Teachers, parents and students
3.1. School management committees and boards
Article 262 of the 2015 Law on Preschool and School Education stipulates that the “specialized body for examination and decision-making on basic pedagogical issues in schools is the Pedagogical Council.” The Pedagogical Council comprises all pedagogical professionals and deputy school heads. The director of the school chairs the Council. In the meetings, representatives of the Community Council, the Board of Trustees, the medical person who serves the school, kindergarten or personal support center are entitled to participate while students and other attendees by invitation, may also join. These representatives have the right to an advisory vote. The director is supposed to invite the representatives in writing and in good time in advance, providing them with all due information on the agenda issues to be discussed.
The Pedagogical Council decides on a multitude of tasks. The Council adopts a 4-year time horizon strategy for the development of the school along with an action and financial plan attached to it. They also may adopt regulations for the school’s activities; may approve school curricula; may approve forms of in-service training; may adopt the annual plan for the school’s activities; may adopt study plans for individual forms of training; may adopt measures to increase the quality of education; may adopt a program for the prevention of early leaving of the school; and may adopt an equal opportunity programme for the inclusion of children and students from vulnerable groups. The Council reports to the school director about their actions and makes proposals to the school head concerning awards and corrective measures for students. Furthermore, the Council is to decide on school symbols and school uniforms and contributes to the drawing up of the School Community’s Code of Ethics. At least three times during the academic year the Council convenes to monitor and discuss the level of mastery of competencies of students and brainstorm joint measures aimed to improve educational outcomes.
3.2. Middle leaders
Bulgaria has a system of qualifications for pedagogical professionals. Teaching and educational positions are, as follows: 1. teacher; 2. senior teacher; 3. head teacher.
Senior teachers, in addition to their functions of regular teachers, are expected to review and draw up analyses of the education outcomes, acquired competences and the advancement of children and pupils from the age group or in the taught subject or module at class level; also, to support novice and student teachers as well as regular teachers; to provide input and support the development of the school syllabi and curricula, to propose innovative and education resources authored by them. Apart from that, they are supposed to conduct internal in-service teacher trainings.
Head teachers, in addition to the functions of regular teachers, are also assigned with tasks related to planning, organizing and conducting internal institutional trainings and the further analysis of all qualification activities; they are expected to coordinate and encourage the teachers involvement in professional communities, the exchange of best pedagogical practices, including as regards teaching and acquiring key competences by children and students. Head teachers grant support to teachers and senior teachers and act as mentors for the novice teachers; they contribute to keeping the school curricula up to date by, per example, designing modules and activities to complement and further enrich them. Their duties include analysing the school and students’ outcomes from evaluations and assessments and designing innovative programmes and methodological approaches.
There are five levels of professional qualifications described in the 2019 State Educational Standard (Ordinance № 15).
The procedure for conferring a professional qualification degree is carried out by a specialized department of a HEI that is entrusted with conducting teacher trainings leading to acquiring the professional degree “teacher” and which has obtained the due programme accreditation to provide education and training for acquiring a master’s degree in the professional field, in compliance with the Classifier of the Higher Education Fields and Professional Directions.
The highest professional qualification degree is “first”, which could be acquired by those who already hold the “second” professional and qualification degree; by those who are awarded the certificate for having undergone trainings leading to upgrade of the qualification with a total duration of not less than 48 academic hours; who have successfully defended a written project of innovative nature, related to the candidate's pedagogical practice or educational management and has developed no less than two publications on problems related to the topic of the written work, featured in a specialized magazine within the last attestation period.
Senior teachers should have at least ten years of teaching experience and hold a fifth or fourth professional qualification degree OR regardless of teaching experience, have a third, second, or first professional qualification degree and received an “outstanding performance” or “exceeds requirements” rating on the last attestation. To apply for the position of head teacher, the senior teacher must have a third, second, or first professional qualification, have an “outstanding performance rating” on the last attestation, and a master’s degree. Head teachers are selected by the Pedagogical Council and a committee appointed by the director of the institution concerned. The school head approves a select number of head teachers for the school.
Other pedagogical positions intended for pedagogical professionals may refer to head of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT), psychologists, speech therapists, educators, pedagogical advisors, choreographers, sport trainers and other. The aforementioned pedagogical professionals together with the deputy school heads are entitled to progress toward acquiring in a consecutive order “second” and “first” qualification degree.
All middle career teachers can be promoted to the higher degrees of the career development path, including the teachers of theoretical training or practical training. The latter are responsible for setting up and developing curricula tailored for advanced professional training of all staff.
3.3. Parents
Rights of the parents, as listed in the 2015 Law on Preschool and School Education encompass the right to be present if they wish to voice a concern when deciding on issues that affect the rights and interests of their child or student. Parents have the freedom to express an opinion and make proposals for development of the school. They may also be elected to the community council of the school.
The community council, as described in chapter fourteen of the PSEA, is a development support body of the school representing the broad community. Members include one representative of the funding body and at least three representatives of parents of children and students from the relevant institution. Parents’ representatives are elected and announced in a parents’ meeting, convened by the director of the school. At the meeting, the number of representatives is determined, and the members and reserve members are elected. The chairmain is elected by its members. Members are appointed for a term no longer than three years. Student representatives from the student self-governing body are allowed to attend meetings and have an advisory vote. Other attendees who may be invited include representatives from the Board of Trustees, employees of the institution, representatives from the regional directions of education, experts, representatives from trade unions, or those from non-profit legal entities and other stakeholders. The director of the school also has the right to attend meetings and voice their opinions. They are supposed to also provide all information and documents necessary for the community council.
The council meets at least four times a year. Responsibilities comprise approving the school’s development strategy; providing in input to the work of the Pedagogical Council; making proposals to the improvement of institution’s policies as well as measures to enhance the quality of the learning process; giving an opinion on the spending of the budget; approving the director’s proposal for the distribution of the funds; approving the school curriculum; participating in the attestation of school directors; approving textbooks and study sets; notifying competent authorities of identified violations; voicing opinions on the school admission plan; and contributing to the development and adoption of the school community’s Code of Ethics.
3.4. Students
The basic rights of students enshrined in the 2015 Law on Preschool and School Education include the right to be respected as active participants in the learning process and to voice opinions and suggestions about school activities. Through the forms of student self-governance, students have the right to participate in the discussion in deciding questions affecting school life and the school community, including the school curriculum. Students also receive assistance from the school and the local self-governing unit when expressing their opinions on matters that directly affect them, as well as when participating in the life of the community.
Students participate in school life and in the organizational development of the school through various forms of student self-governance at class and school level. These self-governing groups are defined by the rules of the school at the suggestion of the students.
4. Governance
4.1. Autonomy of school leaders
School directors at public schools do have the power to conclude and terminate labor contracts with pedagogical professionals. Directors are responsible for the lawful, expedient, effective and transparent spending of budget funds. They prepare a proposal for the distribution of funds from what was established at the end of the previous year. The proposal must then be accepted by the public council. The director is also expected to submit quarterly reports on the implementation of the budget to the general assembly of workers and employees and the public council. According to the 2019 State Educational Standard, directors are responsible for the further development and implementation of the school curricula.
4.2. Assessment and accountability of school leaders
According to the 2015 Law on Preschool and School Education, teachers, school directors, and other pedagogical professionals are evaluated through attestation. Their professional profile is reviewed alongside the requirements for taking up the position and their managerial competence. These profiles, as explained in the 2019 State Educational Standard, consist of evidence that tracks the dynamics of the professional performance of the pedagogical professionals; the results achieved and the acquisition of competencies by the students; participation in the implementation of the policies of the institution; and professional advancement and career development. The profiles are also intended to serve as a starting point for setting future priorities in terms of professional development and provides a basis for the self-assessment and attestation practices.
Teachers and school heads are re-certified every four years from an attestation committee appointed by the employer (either the state or municipal education management bodies), in coordination with the Pedagogic Council. The attestation committee comprises a representative of the employer or funding body, a representative from the Pedagogical Council, a representative from the regional direction of education, and a parent representative from the Community Council.
The highest grade that can be awarded following the due attestation is “exceptional performance.” In case of a low grade, the attestation committee, together with the school director, must analyze the reasons that have led to the low grade assessment and draw up a methodical and organizational plan. A mentor or mentors may be assigned to carry out methodological and organizational support. The school director is supposed to submit to the regional administration of education documents to ensure they are on track for improvement. Re-attestation will be performed one year after taking and fulfilling those measures. If the school director receives a low grade again, the person is released from office.
The assessment card for school directors can be found in Appendix No. 23 in the 2019 State Educational Standard (Ordinance № 15 issued by the Minister of Education and Science).
Furthermore, the administrative acts of the directors of institutions in the preschool and school education system can be challenged administratively before the Minister of Education and Science.
4.3. Teacher assessment by school leaders
Teachers are also evaluated through attestation every four years. Their professional profile is reviewed alongside the requirements for taking up the position and fulfilment of the duties ascribed to it. The attestation committee is comprised of the director of the school as well as representatives from the regional direction of education and the Pedagogical Council. According to the 2019 State Educational Standard, the director establishes benchmarks for team performance by creating an internal system for monitoring, evaluation, feedback and decision-making. They are expected to participate in committees for attestation of pedagogical professionals.
This profile was reviewed by Krassimira Todoreva, Chief expert, International Cooperation Development, Bulgaria Ministry of Education and Science.
