The educational management and coordination framework in public schools in São Paulo is currently determined based on the number of classrooms in each unit. However, from 2026, the government of Tarcisio de Freitas (Republic) will adopt a new model: the number of principals will be directly linked to the total number of students served.
This change is supposed to affect approximately half of the 5,300 schools in the network. According to the Ministry of Education (Seduc), the exchange is part of a package of administrative adjustments “in order to ensure efficiency and focus on improving learning rates.”
“The modification package is a response of the Secretariat to the request of the schools and the regional teaching units themselves, indicating the complexity of management in units with many students and a large teaching staff. We have determined that the best approach is to rebalance the distribution of school principals and administrative support in a more equitable way, thus ensuring a pedagogical team proportional to the size and needs of the schools,” Renato Vedder, São Paulo’s Minister of Education, explained in a memorandum.
However, as specified CapitalsHowever, the change, which has not yet been officially announced, has already caused negative repercussions among principals and teachers. One director, who preferred to remain anonymous, said: “There is fear among those working in the field of education, because the matter has not been discussed with us.” He added: “What we see is the exact opposite of what we asked for.”
“It’s a six-for-six (exchange),” he added. “Today, I have four staff here, school organization agents. And from the perspective of what the government puts in place, I’ll lose one. I’ll keep three. So, I get a deputy, but I lose a coordinator, and I lose an employee.”
Of the total number of public schools, 1,561 schools will undergo staff reductions, while 1,288 schools will increase. In addition, 2,127 will remain unchanged.
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Educational guidance and coordination in public schools
- According to Seduk, schools with up to 200 students will have an administrative staff consisting of, at a minimum, a principal, a pedagogical coordinator (CGP), a school organization manager (GOE) and a school organization agent (AOE).
- In a range of 201 to 500 students, the department plans to bolster the team with a vice principal and one to three AOE staff members.
- From 501 registered onwards, the number of managers gradually increases.
- Small units, with up to 600 students, may have a reduced number of managers.
- Details will be regulated in the resolution.
There will also be a change in the role of the Coordinators of Pedagogical Administration by Knowledge Area (CGPAC), which is currently limited to permanent teachers and focuses on supervising procedures by area according to the number of classes. From 2026, this task will be transferred to the Coordinating Teacher by Area of Knowledge (PAAC), with the workload to be determined by the number of professionals, up to six in larger schools, and selection open to any teacher with dedicated classes.
Division of schools with more than 1,200 students
Another change planned by the São Paulo government for next year is to divide public schools with more than 1,200 students into two units. The project was sent to school teams less than a month ago.
“The units, which have joined the pilot project on a voluntary basis, will have their own directors and support teams. Those selected work part-time and serve the final years of primary and secondary school. Most of them are located in the São Paulo metropolitan area, but there is interest in other areas of the state,” said Sedoc.
The idea, according to the ministry, is to make administrative work easier for principals, who will have fewer students to monitor. The project still depends on the issuance of a decision by the governor, and is scheduled to begin on a trial basis next year with a group of schools.