Memo To: Principal Interview Committee

Memo To: Principal Interview Committee

From: Superintendent _________________

Re: Principal Interview Session

Date: May 1, 2007

Please find enclosed a set of materials for the principal interview session on Wednesday, May 9, 2007 in the home economics room at _____________ High School. A Committee of the Whole meeting has been scheduled for the Board of Education to meet for this purpose.

Included is a set of interview questions that we will use and a rating sheet if you would like to use. Later on, I will send you a letter of application, resume, and writing sample from each of the three or four finalists. The interview schedule is as follows:

6:00 – Candidate #1 8:00 – Candidate #3

7:00 – Candidate #2 9:00 – Candidate #4 (if needed)

Regarding the interview session, I will serve as the moderator and ask the questions. Please feel free to ask for further clarification of a response or another related question if you feel you need more information. Hopefully, there will be time at the end of each interview for a give and take as well.

The following is a list of general do’s and don’ts of interviewing:

n Avoid questions that:

n could be perceived as discriminatory.

n are invasive of the applicant’s privacy such as (1) past, present, or future pregnancies, (2) child care arrangements, (3) size of family and ages of children, (4) number of times married, (5) financial status, (6) occupation of spouse, (7) physical or mental condition of any family member, or (8) housing arrangements.

n reflect personal appearance such as (1) compliments on clothes or hairstyle, (2) height or weight observations, (3) age, or (4) physical disability.

n relate to associational activities, such as those relating to religious, political, community or social groups.

n In documenting, avoid descriptive notations which later may be deemed discriminatory such as (1) over qualified which may be translated as “too old”, (2) the “blonde”, which may be deemed as sexist, (3) “bad legs”, which may be construed as a violation of the ADA, or (4) the “one with the big nose” which may be considered an ethnic or racial slur.

I hope this information will be helpful in our finding the best principal possible for ______________ High School.