Use these questions to identify a candidate’s technical knowledge and abilities
Use these questions to determine how a candidate handled situations in the past
Use these questions to assess a candidate’s personal traits and cognitive skills
Why this matters:
The answer to this question will show you whether the candidate has done their homework and researched your school before applying. You need to know that if hired, they’ll dedicate themselves to knowing the school inside-out, so it’s a good sign if they can give you an accurate assessment of it during the interview.
What to listen for:
- Top answers may provide a characterization of the student body and the school’s reputation within the local community.
- Candidates may also reference a personal connection, like wanting to work somewhere that faces similar challenges to their own childhood school.
Why this matters:
To build their school’s faculty, a principal must be a skilled interviewer, with the ability to evaluate hard skills, soft skills, and more. They also need a good sense of what makes a great teacher, from the way they interact with the kids to their ability to impart wisdom—and why hiring the right person is essential.
What to listen for:
- Strong answers may cover how they assess a teacher’s ability to develop trusting relationships with their students and their level of patience and empathy.
- Top candidates may also mention how they test whether a teacher will adjust to a different kind of school environment.
Why this matters:
Great principals are always looking for ways to make the educational experience better and more robust, whether that involves creating a stronger support system for students or introducing a new event to the social calendar. The answer to this question will give you a feel for the candidate’s priorities and help you asses their ability to introduce, sell, and implement new ideas.
What to listen for:
- Answers should indicate that the candidate proactively looks for ways to improve the student experience.
- A great answer may mention listening to feedback from students, parents, and faculty and using it to guide decisions.
Why this matters:
A principal regularly has to make tough disciplinary calls. Knowing if and when to involve parents is the key to building productive relationships and establishing trust with both parents and students. Some issues can be handled in house, but the best principals have a strong instinct for when it’s time to pick up the phone.
What to listen for:
- Listen for signs that the candidate values parental interaction and seeks to understand where kids are coming from before handing out punishments.
- Top answers may reveal a desire to connect with difficult students before calling their parents.
Why this matters:
The way a person delivers negative feedback says a lot about their management and communication styles. Do they take time to learn more about the situation before calling the teacher in? Do they give the teacher a chance to explain? Do they prioritize making an action plan to ensure the issue was appropriately resolved?
What to listen for:
- Answers should indicate that the candidate isn’t afraid of giving negative feedback but understands the importance of doing it tactfully.
- Look for an answer that shows the candidate is willing to listen to teachers and work with them to find a resolution.
Why this matters:
Between teachers, parental advisory groups, administrative colleagues, and students, a principal has to take many constituents into account when making decisions. It’s rarely possible to please everyone, so it’s important to know that your candidate will react and respond to these difficult situations appropriately.
What to listen for:
- Candidates should display an understanding that making unpopular decisions is a necessary part of the job.
- Look for evidence that they consider all viewpoints but are able to be decisive and stand by their decisions.
Why this matters:
This question screens for both professional growth and a real passion for learning. Learning is a lifelong process—a cardinal truth you want your interviewee to actively believe in. If they’re not keeping up with and, ideally, contributing to trends and best practices in education, they may be too mired in tradition to lead your school into the future.
What to listen for:
- Candidates should be able to talk about something that engaged them professionally, such as a book, article, conference, or TED Talk.
- Strong answers will provide details of how they applied the lessons they learned in their day-to-day work.
Why this matters:
This question screens for both leadership and for a passion for cultivating people. The best principals don’t just want to help their students thrive—they take an active role in supporting their teachers, too. They see themselves as mentors and are willing to put in the time to help their teachers advance professionally.
What to listen for:
- Candidates should discuss strategies they use, like asking teachers for input about decisions that affect them.
- The best answers will cover an example of how their strategy led to a positive result, like a teacher they mentored winning an award.
Why this matters:
This question screens for passion, dedication, and a commitment to seeing problems through to a positive resolution. A principal who is passionate about leading your school won’t completely put key issues out of their head when they leave the building. Instead, they’ll always keep them in the back of their mind and remain on the lookout for possible answers.
What to listen for:
- Look for signs that the candidate deeply cared about their last school and wanted what was best for the student body.
- Ideal candidates will demonstrate strong problem-solving skills and the ability to identify and evaluate creative solutions.
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