From the analysis of notices and tests of public contests to fill the position of school principal performed in state schools of São Paulo State and from the conceptions of directors, this article seeks to identify the expectations of central bodies of education regarding the role of these professionals and the administrative thought that supposedly guided and/or directs the administration of public paulista schools. The study of the notices and tests allowed observing that the desired profile for the school principal has changed significantly over time under the influence of political, economic, social and educational aspects. The investigation of the conceptions of directors, in turn, seems to rekindle the need to build a specific theory for the school administrative activity.
School Administration; School principal; Public contest.