4 minute read
Sample Interview Questions
from School Leadership that Fits
by IASP
RESOuRCE: SAmPLE INTERVIEW QuESTIONS
1. Tell about your educational background.
2. Tell about your professional experience.
3. Why do you want to become a school leader? Or, why do you want this position?
4. Talk about what you consider to be your greatest strengths. What are your greatest potential growth areas?
5. What are the three most important qualities a principal must possess?
6. What have you done to keep abreast of developments in the field of education and school leadership?
7. What do you do to sustain your own personal and professional wellness?
8. What do you consider to be a principal’s biggest pressure?
9. Describe your entry plan as you prepare to assume the leadership of your school.
10. What system do you use to manage your time and leadership responsibilities?
11. What is your role as principal (assistant principal, dean, etc.) in creating a culture of excellence for students and staff?
12. What strategies will you rely on to sustain and improve staff and student morale?
13. How do you involve students in the decision-making process?
14. How do you involve teachers in the decision-making process?
15. What do you do to keep your own implicit biases in check?
16. Describe an improvement process you led either in your current/previous classroom or leadership position. Did you achieve the outcome you expected? Why or why not?
17. Discuss your philosophy of discipline. Include effective methods you have used in the past. How do you feel about restorative justice practices? fied discrepancies in the rates of suspension and expulsion of students of color or those students with disabilities? How might proactive behavior practices impact suspension and expulsion rates?
19. How would you handle this situation? A teacher sends a student to you for disciplinary measures. You administer the consequences. The teacher gets upset because he/she feels the student did not receive enough punishment.
20. An informant (student) comes to you and reports that another student has brought drugs into the building. What would you do?
21. You receive information that requires the school to go into a hard lockdown. Explain the procedures you would use in this situation.
22. Several teachers have been grumbling in the lounge about lack of administrative support. What would you do?
23. How would you motivate unmotivated students? Similarly, how would you build rapport with students who do not want to build a rapport with you?
24. What experience do you have with special education (IEPs) and with 504 plans?
25. What is your vision for special education?
26. How would you ensure we provide equitable educational opportunities for all of our students?
27. How would you ensure all students and staff feel emotionally connected to and valued by our school community?
28. How would you describe your conflict resolution style?
29. What processes will you utilize to empower and develop the capacity of your teachers and staff overall?
30. What do you look for when assessing teacher performance? What steps will you take to assist a teacher who is struggling? 31. You have an experienced teacher who is using outdated instructional practices. You speak with him about it and offer some suggestions that are researched based to improve. He informs you that his 25 years of experience trump any research you could find. What, if anything, do you do?
32. How will you resolve a parental complaint when you know the teacher is in error?
33. What strategies would you use to continuously share your school’s story?
34. What strategies would you use to effectively engage with families and the greater community?
35. What steps would you take to ensure your effectively communicate with staff, students, and parents?
36. What experience do you have with:
a. Data Driven Analysis b. Curriculum Development c. monitoring Curriculum d. Addressing Needs of At-Risk Students/Parents e. master Scheduling f. Developing Teams/Programs g. Encouraging Parent Involvement h. School Improvement Planning
37. What are essential elements of quality schools?
38. What methods will you use to evaluate your school and its programs?
39. Are there any questions we did not ask you that you wish we had? If so, what are they?
40. Why do you feel you are the best candidate for this position?
NOTES
Illinois Principals Association
www.ilprincipals.org | 217.525.1383
Indiana Association of School Principals
www.iasp.org | 317.891.9900
School Administrators of Iowa
www.sai-iowa.org | 515.267.1115 minnesota Elementary School Principals’ Association
www.mespa.net | 651.999.7310
www.maesp.com | 573.638.2460
www.moassp.org | 573.445.5071
New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association
www.njpsa.org | 609.860.1200
S c hoo l Administrators Association of
New York State
School Administrators Association of New York State
www.saanys.org | 518.782.0600
Association of Washington School Principals
www.awsp.org | 360.357.7951
Association of Wisconsin School Administrators
www.awsa.org | 608.241.0300
A SCHOOL LEADER PARADIG m RESO u RCE
© 2019 School Leader Collaborative
