Assistant Principal Candidate Questions

Candidate Name:______

Date of Interview: ______

I.Student discipline

  1. What is your philosophy of discipline?
  1. What should the faculty’s responsibilities be for discipline?
  1. What is your philosophy towards suspending students from school?
  1. What are some alternatives to out of school suspensions?
  1. What is the toughest discipline problem you have handled and how did it turn out?

II.Cultural Diversity

  1. What are your experiences in working with minority high school students?
  1. Should minority students be approached differently than white students in a potentially violent confrontation?
  1. What should be the role of the AP in improving race relations in the school and community?

III.Supervision of Instruction

  1. What is an “excellent” teacher?
  1. Describe an experience in which you had to work with a teacher to bring about change in the teacher’s job performance.
  1. What does the term “formative evaluation” mean to you?
  1. What are the elements of a teacher who is a good classroom manager?

IV.Community Relations

  1. You have observed signs of gang activity at the school. What steps will you take to eradicate this activity?
  1. What is the role of parents in a high school?
  1. How would you promote parent involvement?
  1. What can be done to promote/increase school spirit/pride?

V.Personal Qualities

  1. What will you do to maintain the health and energy necessary to meet the responsibilities of this position?
  1. Tell me something I don’t know about you that would reveal your interest in young people.
  1. What are the qualities of an outstanding assistant principal?

VI.Other

  1. As an assistant principal, you will be called on many times to support the teachers in discipline situations. Is the teacher always right? What will you do in situations when the teacher is wrong?
  1. You have made a tough decision with a student discipline matter. You were firm, consistent and fair. Your decision has been appealed to the Principal or C.O. level and has been overruled. How do you respond?
  1. What do you see yourself doing in five years from now? Ten years from now?
  1. Why do you want this job?
  1. Knowing this high school - what changes would you make? Give me your top three priorities (for outside candidates ask, “what do you know about J.H.S.?”).
  1. Why should you be considered above other candidates?

G. What are your areas of strength?

H. What are your areas that you are least confident in or least experienced in?

DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US AT THIS TIME?