Who Works at Your Child's School? A Parent's Guide to School Staff
By: Jessie Miller, Founder of PHB
Schools are HUGE operations.
Often, we forget that there are dozens of people working behind the scenes in addition to classroom teachers. These professionals and paraprofessionals may interact with your child every day, or they may step in during the exact moment your family needs additional help.
From the office staff keeping track of hundreds of dismissal changes to the custodian cleaning up when your kiddo yaks on the floor, every person in the building contributes to your child’s safety, learning, and overall school experience.
Knowing who these people are, what they do, and when to contact them can help you communicate more effectively, find the right support faster, and feel more connected to your child’s school.
Not every school will have every position listed below, and job titles can vary by school or district. Some professionals also serve multiple schools rather than working in one building full time. However, this guide will introduce you to many of the incredible people who help keep a school running.
In this article you'll find information about:
The Front Office: The School’s Command Center
The front office is exactly that: the command center of the school.
Everything and everybody goes through this team. They work incredibly hard to make sure students are safe, accounted for, and exactly where they are supposed to be.
If you really want to be in the know at your child’s school, get to know the office staff. Seriously. They know everything!
School Administrative Assistants and Office Staff
The people we traditionally called school secretaries may now be called school administrative assistants, office coordinators, attendance clerks, registrars, or school office staff.
Depending on the size of the school, one person may manage attendance while another handles enrollment, student records, transportation questions, visitor check in, phone calls, and daily schedule changes. In a smaller school, one amazingly organized person may somehow do almost all of it.
Contact the front office when:
Your child will be absent or late.
You need to change your child’s dismissal plan.
You are dropping off a forgotten item.
You need help with enrollment or student records.
You are visiting or volunteering at the school.
You need general information about transportation.
You are unsure who at the school can answer your question.
These organized, knowledgeable, and endlessly patient professionals are one of the biggest lifelines in the entire school.
One important reminder: Always follow your school’s deadline and procedure for dismissal changes. A message sent directly to the teacher during instruction may not be seen in time, but the front office has a system for making sure the change reaches the right people.
School Bookkeeper or Financial Secretary
The school bookkeeper, sometimes called a financial secretary or school finance assistant, manages the school’s money and financial records.
This is the person balancing accounts, processing purchases, keeping up with receipts, managing activity funds, and helping teachers purchase materials for their classrooms. If the school holds a fundraiser, the bookkeeper may also help collect, document, and reconcile the money raised.
My mom was an elementary school bookkeeper throughout her career, so I have a special amount of respect for this position.
Bookkeepers are often forgotten because so much of their work happens behind the scenes. However, without their careful, trustworthy, and detail oriented work, teachers could not easily purchase supplies, school events could not run smoothly, and programs funded through donations or fundraisers would be much harder to manage.
Parents may interact with the bookkeeper when they have questions about school fees, payments, refunds, fundraisers, field trips, or other school related purchases.
School Leadership
Assistant Principal
Some schools have one assistant principal, while larger schools may have two or more. You may also hear the title vice principal.
Assistant principals are highly involved instructional leaders and problem solvers. They may oversee student behavior, safety plans, transportation, attendance, testing, teacher support, special education meetings, school committees, and daily operations.
They are frequently the people solving ten different problems before most of us have finished our first cup of coffee. If you don't know your assistant principal, look for the person with the walkie-talkie.
An assistant principal may be an appropriate contact when:
You have already communicated with the teacher, but an ongoing concern has not been resolved.
There is a serious safety or bullying concern.
You have questions about school-wide behavior or discipline procedures.
You need help understanding an administrative decision.
A situation involves several teachers or areas of the school.
You are following the school’s communication or escalation process.
Parent Tip: I would not recommend copying the assistant principal on the first email simply to make sure the teacher responds. Teachers are often instructing children throughout the day and may need a reasonable amount of time to reply. Start with the person closest to the situation, which is usually the classroom teacher. If you have made a good faith effort to communicate and the issue remains unresolved, an assistant principal can help make sure the concern does not fall through the cracks. |
Principal
The principal is the lead administrator and, in many ways, the final decision maker within the school building. Think president, but a president who may greet students in the morning, observe a math lesson before lunch, revise a safety procedure in the afternoon, and help load children into cars at dismissal.
Principals oversee the school’s staff, instructional direction, budget, safety, culture, procedures, and improvement goals. They are constantly approving, revising, evaluating, and problem solving.
A principal may become involved when:
A serious concern remains unresolved after you have followed the communication chain.
A decision involves school-wide policy or procedure.
You have a significant safety concern.
You need clarification about a major administrative decision.
You want to share meaningful praise about a staff member or school program.
Student Safety and Health
School Resource Officer
A school resource officer, often called an SRO, is a sworn law enforcement officer assigned to a school or group of schools. Not every school has one, and the exact responsibilities of the position depend on the district and its partnership with local law enforcement.
An SRO’s primary responsibility is helping maintain a safe and secure school environment. SROs may assist with emergency planning, respond to safety concerns, help manage traffic, provide age appropriate safety education, and build positive relationships with students.
Because serious emergencies are not part of the typical school day, many SROs spend a significant amount of time getting to know students and becoming a familiar, reassuring presence in the building.
Ask your child about the SRO at their school. There is a good chance they can tell you the officer’s name and at least one fun fact about them.
Contact the school or its SRO if you suspect a safety concern on school grounds. This might include a threat, a dangerous item, suspicious activity, or information that could affect the safety of students or staff. If the situation is an emergency or someone is in immediate danger, always call 911 first.
School Nurse or Health Services Staff
The school nurse is not simply the person who hands out ice packs.
School nurses and health services staff connect families, school employees, and healthcare providers so students can remain healthy, safe, and ready to learn.
Depending on the school, health services may be provided by a registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, health assistant, or another trained staff member working under a nurse’s supervision.
Contact the school nurse or health office when:
Your child has an allergy, asthma, diabetes, a seizure disorder, or another health condition.
Your child needs medication during school hours.
You need to provide a health plan or medical documentation.
Your child has activity restrictions following an illness or injury.
You have questions about the school’s illness or medication procedures.
A new diagnosis may affect your child’s school day.
Your child frequently visits the health office with headaches, stomachaches, or other complaints.
These calm, observant, and highly capable professionals often recognize patterns that can help families better understand what a child is experiencing during the school day.
Social, Emotional, and Family Support
School Counselor
The current professional title is school counselor, rather than guidance counselor.
School counselors support students’ academic, career, and social and emotional development. At the elementary level, they may teach classroom lessons about emotions, friendships, problem solving, safety, coping skills, and future goals. They may also facilitate small groups, provide short term individual support, respond during a crisis, and connect families with outside resources.
A school counselor can be especially helpful when your child is experiencing:
Friendship problems
School anxiety
Grief or a major family change
Difficulty adjusting to a new school
Repeated conflict with peers
Stress that is interfering with learning
A need for short term emotional support during the school day
If you are concerned about your child’s emotional wellbeing, the counselor is a wonderful person to contact. Depending on the concern and your school’s procedures, it may also be helpful to include the classroom teacher so everyone can work from the same information.
School counselors often serve very large numbers of students. Their support is generally short term and focused on concerns affecting the child at school. It is not intended to replace ongoing clinical therapy. Families needing regular therapy may be referred to a licensed therapist, psychologist, or another community mental health provider.
School Social Worker
School social workers are knowledgeable, compassionate connectors between school, home, and the larger community.
They help families address barriers that may be affecting a child’s attendance, safety, stability, or ability to learn. They often have extensive knowledge of community programs and can help families locate food, clothing, housing assistance, transportation, healthcare, counseling, and other resources.
A school social worker may help with:
Attendance challenges
Housing instability or homelessness
Food or clothing needs
Access to healthcare or community services
Family crises
Transportation barriers
Connecting a family with outside agencies
Supporting communication between home and school
They handle sensitive information with professionalism and discretion. Reaching out for help is not something to be embarrassed about. Connecting families with helpful resources is exactly what these supportive professionals are trained to do.
The school social worker may become involved when there is a concern about abuse or neglect, but reporting is not solely that person’s responsibility. In Tennessee, every person is a mandated reporter and must report suspected child abuse or neglect.
Family Engagement Coordinator
Some schools or districts have a family engagement coordinator, community school coordinator, parent liaison, or family resource coordinator.
This person helps families connect with the school through workshops, events, volunteer opportunities, community partnerships, and parent resources. They can be especially helpful for families who are new to the school, need assistance navigating school systems, or want to become more involved.
Academic and Learning Support
Instructional Coach
An instructional coach works primarily with teachers rather than providing regular, direct instruction to students.
These experienced and knowledgeable educators help teachers analyze student data, strengthen instructional practices, plan lessons, select resources, and implement new curriculum. They may specialize in literacy, math, technology, or another instructional area.
Parents may not contact an instructional coach regularly, but their work has a significant impact on what happens in the classroom. If a parent has a curriculum question that goes beyond one assignment, the classroom teacher or administrator may consult an instructional coach for additional information.
Academic Interventionist
An academic interventionist, sometimes called a reading interventionist, math interventionist, literacy specialist, or MTSS interventionist, provides targeted instruction to students who need additional support.
These skilled educators may work with students individually or in small groups to strengthen specific skills. They also monitor progress and collaborate with classroom teachers to determine whether an intervention is helping.
If your child receives intervention, ask:
What specific skill is being addressed?
How often does my child receive intervention?
How is progress being measured?
What progress has my child made?
What can we reinforce at home without duplicating school instruction?
When will the team review the intervention plan?
An intervention is not a punishment or a label. It is an additional layer of focused support designed to meet a child where they are and help them continue moving forward.
Special Education Teacher or Case Manager
A special education teacher provides specially designed instruction for students who qualify for services through an Individualized Education Program, or IEP.
Depending on the child’s plan, the special education teacher may work with the student in the general education classroom, a small group setting, a separate classroom, or a combination of settings.
One member of the special education team may also serve as the child’s IEP case manager. This person coordinates services, monitors goals, communicates with the family, and helps the school team implement the child’s IEP.
This person can help parents:
Understand IEP goals and progress reports.
Learn how accommodations are being used.
Identify strategies that support the child at school.
Prepare for an IEP meeting.
Share information about what is or is not working at home.
Coordinate communication among members of the child’s educational team.
These patient, adaptive, and highly skilled educators often become some of a child’s strongest advocates.
Educational Assistant or Paraprofessional
The more current titles are generally educational assistant or paraprofessional, although some schools still use teacher assistant or instructional assistant.
Educational assistants support students and teachers in classrooms, small groups, intervention settings, and special education programs. They might even support your child during lunch, recess, or dismissal. Some work with an entire class, while others provide support connected to an individual student’s educational needs.
They may help students navigate routines, practice skills, communicate, regulate emotions, participate safely, and become increasingly independent.
These professionals often notice the small details. They may recognize the difficult transition, the strategy that finally clicked, or the moment a child quietly demonstrated progress. Their steady, caring presence can make an enormous difference.
Because paraprofessionals work under the direction of licensed educators, parents should typically direct questions about instruction, services, or student progress to the classroom teacher or case manager.
Specialized Student Services
School Psychologist
The school psychologist does much more than testing.
School psychologists are highly trained professionals with expertise in learning, behavior, mental health, development, assessment, and school systems. They may evaluate students, analyze data, consult with teachers and families, support interventions, help develop behavior plans, participate in eligibility and IEP meetings, and assist with crisis response.
If you have ongoing concerns about your child’s learning, development, attention, communication, or behavior, begin by documenting your concerns and requesting a meeting with the classroom teacher and the appropriate members of the school team.
Parents may also formally request an evaluation when they suspect that their child has a disability. The school must respond to that request according to the procedures that apply to special education or Section 504. The school may agree to conduct an evaluation or provide an explanation of why it does not believe an evaluation is warranted.
A school evaluation may examine whether a child qualifies for special education services or accommodations. However, a school evaluation is not always the same as receiving a medical diagnosis.
For example, a school may evaluate how suspected ADHD affects a child’s access to education, while a medical or clinical provider may be needed to provide a formal healthcare diagnosis.
The school evaluation process involves multiple sources of information and requires informed parental consent before an initial evaluation. It can take time because the team is working to build a complete and accurate picture of the child and determine which supports may be appropriate.
Speech Language Pathologist
A speech language pathologist, often called an SLP, supports much more than speech pronunciation.
SLPs may help students with speech sounds, expressive language, receptive language, social communication, fluency, voice, and other communication needs. They may evaluate students, provide direct services, consult with teachers, and suggest strategies that help a child participate more successfully in the classroom.
If your child receives speech and language services, the SLP can help you understand:
What communication skill is being addressed
How that skill affects classroom participation
What progress your child is making
Which simple strategies can be reinforced at home
These knowledgeable and encouraging professionals help students find effective ways to communicate their ideas, needs, and personalities.
Occupational Therapist and Physical Therapist
A school based occupational therapist, often called an OT, may support skills such as fine motor control, handwriting access, sensory regulation, self care, classroom participation, and the use of school tools.
A school based physical therapist, often called a PT, may help a student safely access the school environment, navigate mobility needs, use adaptive equipment, or participate in educational activities.
School based therapy is connected to a student’s ability to access and participate in education. It is not always the same as therapy provided in a medical clinic.
These thoughtful and creative problem solvers are often masters at adapting a task or environment so a student can participate more safely and independently.
Behavior Specialist
Some schools have a behavior specialist, behavior interventionist, board certified behavior analyst, or behavior support coach.
This professional may observe patterns, help the school understand what is contributing to a behavior, develop positive supports, coach staff, and collaborate with families.
Their role is not simply to stop challenging behavior. The goal is to understand what the behavior may be communicating and teach the child safer and more effective skills.
The People Who Shape Your Child’s Entire Day
School Librarian or Library Media Specialist
The school librarian may also be called a library media specialist.
These enthusiastic literacy champions help children discover books, develop research skills, learn digital citizenship, evaluate information, and become more independent users of technology and media.
If your child is struggling to find books they enjoy, ask the librarian. They often have an almost magical ability to match a reluctant reader with the exact book that opens the door.
Related Arts or Specials Teachers
Art, music, physical education, library, STEM, technology, and other specials teachers are licensed educators. Their classes are not simply breaks in the school day.
These creative and talented teachers often see strengths that may not appear during traditional academic instruction. A child who struggles during reading may thrive in music, demonstrate incredible teamwork in physical education, or show remarkable persistence in art.
They can offer parents a valuable and more complete picture of a child’s interests, confidence, creativity, social skills, and participation.
School Nutrition Professionals
The people traditionally called cafeteria workers may be more respectfully described as school nutrition professionals, nutrition services staff, or cafeteria staff.
They are the friendly faces your child sees every day while moving through the lunch line. They prepare and serve an enormous number of meals while following detailed food safety, allergy, nutrition, and scheduling requirements.
They are often among the first adults to notice when a child seems confused, has difficulty opening something, does not know where to go, or is simply having a rough day.
This group of hardworking school professionals is frequently overlooked, but their role is absolutely essential. Children cannot learn well when they are hungry, and a warm interaction in the lunch line can matter more than adults realize.
Custodial and Facilities Staff
Custodians and facilities staff do far more than clean the building at the end of the day.
They sanitize shared spaces, respond to spills, prepare rooms for events, move furniture, address building concerns, unlock doors, maintain supplies, and help keep the entire school safe and functional.
If you are helping with an event and need a table, trash can, open door, or quick solution to a building problem, these resourceful professionals are often the people who save the day.
And yes, if your kid yaks on the floor, they are usually the ones who clean it up. They deserve major thanks and props.
School Bus Drivers and Transportation Staff
Bus drivers are another incredibly important part of the school team.
They are responsible for transporting dozens of children safely while managing traffic, schedules, student needs, and behavior, often without another adult on the bus.
For many children, the bus driver is the first school employee they see in the morning and the last one they see in the afternoon.
Transportation staff can help with route and stop information, but parents should follow the district’s communication process rather than trying to resolve major transportation concerns with a driver during loading or unloading. A good starting point if you have concerns is to email your child's teacher or the front office.
A quick smile, wave, and thank you can go a long way with the person safely carrying your child to and from school each day.
Substitute Teachers
Substitute teachers or guest teachers, step into classrooms, often with very little notice, and work to preserve learning, safety, routines, and consistency while the regular teacher is absent.
Strong substitute teachers are flexible, patient, and quick thinking professionals. They may not know every classroom system or every child’s needs immediately, but they are doing important work that allows schools to continue functioning when staff members are sick, attending training, or handling family responsibilities.
Your Child Has a Whole Team
Your child’s classroom teacher may be your primary point of contact, but that teacher is not working alone.
A school is filled with skilled, compassionate, and hardworking people who are all contributing to your child’s day in different ways. Some teach lessons. Some manage money. Some serve lunch. Some evaluate learning needs. Some support families through incredibly difficult seasons. Some clean up messes that no one else wants to touch.
Together, they make up the system that keeps your child safe, supported, fed, encouraged, and ready to learn.
You do not need to memorize every title. Simply knowing that these people exist and understanding which person is best equipped to help can make communication between school and home feel much less overwhelming.
When you have the opportunity, learn their names.
Say hello. Send the kind email. Tell the principal when someone has helped your child.
Encourage your child to say thank you.
The people behind the scenes may not always receive the recognition, but they are a huge part of your child’s schooling journey.
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