INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

DAVISVILLE MIDDLE ASSISTANT PRINICPAL SCREENING COMMITTEE

  1. Briefly describe your background and experience. Include in your answer the reasons for your interest in DMS, your reasons for leaving your current position and your short and long term career goals.
  1. Please describe your philosophy of middle school education. In particular comment on the middle school structure and the characteristics of the middle school student.
  1. This question has several parts regarding discipline. They will be addressed separately.

Please speak to us regarding your approach to student discipline.

In the discipline process, how would you address a difficult conflict between a parent and teacher?

Please comment on how you would ensure fairness in the discipline process, especially when encountering vocal and influential parents?

How would you communicate discipline results to the teams?

In your experience, what approaches have you found to be particularly effective and conversely which ones have not been successful?

  1. In North Kingstown, through School Advisory Councils and PTO’s, parents and

community members play an active role in school governance. Please give an example of a successful situation in which you’ve involved parents and community members and conversely a situation, which was not as successful as you would want it to be?

  1. What is your experience with respect to teacher and staff evaluation? In your personal opinion, what criteria should be used to evaluate a teacher’s instructional effectiveness in the classroom? If you found a teacher’s performance to be borderline, what would you do? Give examples.
  1. The school day starts at 8AM and ends at 2:20PM. On Tuesdays and Thursdays students may stay until 4PM for the late bus. School dances and athletic events are held in the evening. Please tell us about your ability to commit to this schedule and your willingness to commit to spending time with students and parents.
  1. What are the most important leadership qualities of an effective administrator? How do you go about assessing/determining your strengths and weaknesses?
  1. Comment on your background in the school improvement process. In your answer please reference the requirements of Article 31 if you are familiar with this state statute.
  1. Our student body at DMS is diverse in all respects. What approaches have you found to be helpful towards ensuring success for all kids? Please address your approach to special needs students as well as programs for students performing significantly above grade level.

Follow up question:

A regular education student and a special education student are involved in a fight. Should discipline be applied equally? Please discuss.

  1. Change is an essential ingredient in school improvement. How do you help others to overcome their natural resistance to change?
  1. Comment on your approach to achieving performance results with difficult to manage individuals. Please give examples.