Throughout the history of television, there have been many TV shows set in schools. Whether it’s shows abouthigh school life on Netflixorworkplace comedy showsset in elementary schools likeAbbott Elementary, there’s a wide variety to choose from. When all is said and done, the best of these shows really dive into the lives of those in the school, students and faculty alike, and show us who they are on-campus and off.
Of course, you can’t have a good show set in a school without having a principal to go along with it. Indeed, many iconic school principals have graced the small screen, both in animation and live action. With so many excellent principal characters to choose from, it can be difficult to decide who’s the best of the rest. With this list, we’ve done just that. Here are the best school principals in TV shows, ranked.
6Angela Li — Daria
Angela Liis the strict, no-nonsense principal that ruled the hallways lurked by Daria and Jane in the eponymous animated showDaria. In the show, Principal Li acts as a villain, using over the top measures like drug-sniffing dogs and electric fences to keep the school under control. She puts the financial concerns of the school above all else, even venturing into a blizzard under the guise of finding Mr O’Neill to save expensive film equipment. She is a caricature of the obsession with school security that hooked the US in the 90s. More than that, Angela Li an extremely memorable character, making her one of the best principals on TV.
Related:Abbott Elementary: The Best Characters From the Series, Ranked
5Sister George Michael — Derry Girls
Sister George Michaelis the head educator of Our Lady Immaculate College, serving as the main antagonist in the showDerry Girls. She displays traditional Catholic values, due to her position as a nun, but also has some hobbies that are a lot more out there. For instance, she does judo every week and prays for the Irish to win the football. She provides much of the humor in the Irish sitcom simply by being apathetic towards her job, making her one of the most iconic principals on TV.
4Principal Figgins — Glee
Despite ending the run ofGleeas a mere school janitor, Principal Figgins was the best principal William McKinley High School had ever had. He took the job very seriously, holding the best interests of the students to heart, while still keeping the financial restrictions of the school in mind. Figgins could be seen as weak-willed based on some of his early actions in the hit musical show, but when push came to shove, he didn’t back down from the challenge lodged by Sue Sylvester, despite that causing him to lose his job. For that, he earns a spot on our list of the best principals in TV.
3Principal Skinner — The Simpsons
The Simpsonshas many iconic characters, partly due to its long history. Principal Seymour Skinner is perhaps at the top of that list, due to his care for the job and his comedic timing. Most of the time, his storylines involve trying to better the school, despite the constant judgment from Superintendent Chalmers, and the pressure Bart puts on him by misbehaving. No good character is without its fair share of controversy, and his role at the center of the episode “The Principal and the Pauper” cemented Skinner inSimpsonslore for good.
Related:Abbott Elementary: 10 Things the Series Captures about the American Public School System
2Dean Pelton — Community
While not like most of the principals on this list, Dean Pelton is the closest thing to a principal that Greendale Community College had. ThroughoutCommunity, he frequently put the school and its reputation to the front of his mind, even increasing enrollment at Greendale by 25% during his time as administrator. Besides being a good leader for the school, and putting the students first, he was also incredibly funny, meaning Greendale would not be the same without him. This effectively earns him a spot on this list. We can’t wait to see Dean Pelton return to the screen in the highly anticipated and recently announcedCommunitymovie (viaVulture).
1Ava Coleman — Abbott Elementary
Ava Coleman is probably the last thing anyone would think of in terms of a good principal. That being said, she still tops this list because in spite everything that makes her bad for Abbott Elementary, she really does care about the kids. In theAbbott Elementaryepisodes where Janine and the other teachers expect her to let the kids down, she really steps up. And when she doesn’t, there’s usually a logical, albeit wild, explanation behind it. So for that reason, and for her excellent comedic timing, she tops this list as the best principal in TV.
