Assistant Principal Interview Guide – Multiple Brilliant Answers to 40 Difficult Questions, 2024 Edition

Dear future Assistant Principal,

I will keep this page short, and to the point. Here is what I have for you:

In the eBook, you will find multiple brilliant answers to each of the following interview questions:

Why do you think you can be a good assistant principal?
What experiences do you have with working with low income and “at risk” students?
Did you supervise any school event in the past? What problems did you face when supervising the event? How did you handle the problems?
How will you measure your success after the first year in this job?
How would you lead an IEP meeting?
Assume you are offered and accept the position of Assistant Principal, and now it is the night before the opening of school. What is keeping you awake?
Tell us what you learned from your most influential administrators. Try to identify at least one positive and one negative characteristic.
Please describe a situation in which you were a manager, a leader and a boss.
What actions would you take to monitor staff members’ performance at our school?
What classroom management strategies have been most effective for you? Do you think that assistant principal should help teachers to improve their classroom management?
What do you consider the main challenges school principals and their assistants face right now?
If there was a conflict between a student and a teacher, on which side would you stand?
How would you lead an interview for a position of a teacher, with a candidate without experience? What questions would you ask them?
How do you build a positive school culture? Give examples of how you would do that here.
Would you allow students to give their opinion before you make an important decision that impacts their daily school routine?
You probably know something about our school now. What would you improve about it, if you got a chance?
Have you ever thought of becoming a school principal?
If you were working with a probationary teacher who was experiencing many challenges with effective classroom management, what would you do?
How would you encourage your teachers to take on leadership roles?
and 20 other difficult questions you may face in your interview for a position of an Assistant Principal

Check the sample to see how the eBook can help you:

Sample from the eBook

Question: How will you measure your success after the first year in this job?

Hint: This is a tricky question for several reasons. First of all, it’s not easy to see any major improvements in the way the school functions (or at least the administration of it) after your first year as an assistant principal.

Lot of paperwork and lobbying is often required to move forward with any major changes you’d propose.

Even if you get a green light eventually, they’d likely implement the changes only from the next school year (or even later), so you’d have to wait a bit longer to see whether they succeed or fail.

On the other hand, each good employee has some goals, and tries to accomplish something in their job. You can’t just say that one year is a very short time to measure a success of any school administrator.

Perhaps the best thing you can say is that you plan to set goals for yourself (they can relate to the students, teachers, effectiveness of processes, anything), after talking to existing administrators and understanding the challenges they face at school (and a role a new AP should play in addressing these challenges).

Each good goal can be quantified, and once this is done you will easily monitor your progress, and at the end of the first year tell whether or not you achieved the desired results.

You can also opt for a different approach, saying that you simply plan to try your best each day, working on the goals you set for yourself, and let the others (principal, superintendent) to measure your success at the end of the year.

Sample answers

– I definitely want to set some realistic goals once I get this job. But these can’t be set realistically until I have a long discussion with other administrators, until I understand the ins and outs of this school. Once this happens we should be able to devise some goals, perhaps goals we should work on as a team. We should be able to identify my position in the team, and how I can contribute to achieving these goals.

Then we should do our best to quantify them (though it is not always possible). At the end of the year we will simply compare the goals with the actual results we achieved.

– To be honest, I prefer to let the others to consider whether I am successful in my job. Almost all great things we can achieve in education represent a team effort. We should set goals as a team, and we should also work on achieving them as a team. And the big changes cannot be implemented (and their results interpreted) in such a short term as one school year.

I want to try my best in work, every day, but I also do not want to be too hard on myself. I will try to do what I can within my capabilities, and let the leaders of the school and district decide whether I succeeded once the end of the year approaches.

Question: If there was a conflict between a student and a teacher, on which side would you stand?

Hint: If you decided about a conflict without a proper investigation, you could lose the trust of the students—not just one student but all of them.

Therefore you should always approach conflicts carefully, and address them individually. Listen to both conflict parties before suggesting an action, or taking one.

Job candidates have a tendency to say that they would stand on the side of a teacher or a school principal (just because these people interview them for the job).

This is not a good answer, however, since teachers are only humans, and they make mistakes, just like everyone else.

You should be transparent, have some conflict solving standards, and always try to find the truth. At least that’s what they want to hear in your interview answer….

Sample answers

– I really believe that assistant principals should be involved in solving conflicts, since they can look at them without emotions of involved parties. I would stand on the side of the truth in every conflict, letting both parties to tell me what happened, personally investigating the situation and deciding according to my conscience. Most important thing is to reconcile the conflict parties, so the relationship of teacher and student can continue, and both of them can still feel comfortable in the classroom.

– I would approach each conflict individually. It is hard to say on which side I would stand. Obviously, teacher is more reliable than student. But at the same time, teachers are only human beings—they can make mistakes, just like everyone else. Therefore I would approach every conflict cautiously, investigate what happened, and carefully consider the action we should take.

Question: Assume you are offered and accept the position of Assistant Principal, and now it is the night before the opening of school. What is keeping you awake?

Hint: Staying awake can be interpreted in many ways. It can be anxiety, but also excitement. It can be worries, but also the feeling of responsibility that doesn’t let you escape into the country of dreams.

Try to focus on positive emotions, rather than negative ones. For example, you can say that you are rehearsing the speech you will make in the morning (if there is any). Or that you can’t fall asleep from sheer excitement, from all the new and exciting things that await you in your new job.

Actually this question is a good opportunity to show the hiring committee that you care, that you really want to do your very best from the first day of the year—and therefor may struggle to fall asleep. Try to make the most of this opportunity.

Sample answers

I think I can define it by one word: excitement. New year, new school, new people. All the great things we can achieve together for the students, all challenges we will try to tackle together. I still feel quite young and love to start from scratch. My excitement keeps me awake.

I presume I would have a lot of thoughts. How to make the best possible impression on both students and new colleagues, what to say during the opening speech, and so on. I take my job seriously, and therefor I would struggle to fall asleep before the school opening. At the same time, however, I trust in my experience and values, and know that the best thing to do is to simply be myself … and fall sleep, so I am not tired on the next day. Easy to say, hard to do though.

–End of the sample–

These are just three interview questions. You will find forty questions in the eBook (10 new added for the latest edition), with an analysis and multiple great answers to each question.

All information from someone who has interviewed more than 500 applicants for various positions in education, and who continues to help job seekers from all around the world to succeed in the interviews.

What is more, to ensure that you will get the job, I added some other sections to the book, such as:

Guide on how to identify the value you can bring to the school, and how to present this value in an interview.
Winning interview strategies that will help you to impress the members of the interviewing panel.
Questions you should ask in this interview.
… and more

Glen Hughins, author of the book

So that’s it. I do not want to waste your time with lengthy sales pages, and imaginary discounts, just like other people do on their websites.

You have read the sample, you know what the eBook is about, and surely you can tell whether it will help you or not. I sincerely believe it will help you in your interview. And you can read it easily in three or four hours, it’s 21,000 words (current edition). Only things that matter, no secondary content.

What is more, like with everything else we sell on this website, you have a risk free sixty days money back guarantee. If you don’t like this eBook for any reason, or no reason at all, just let me know (email me at glen[at]assistantprincipalinterviewquestions[dot]com) within 60 days, and I will give you a full refund.

Quick Summary

Brilliant answers to forty difficult questions you may get in your interview for an assistant principal job.
Published for the first time in 2014, latest update: March 2024 (10 new questions and improved interview strategies added in latest update).
Several sample answers to each question, so you can choose one that reflects your values and experience.
Winning interview strategies.
Instant download, .PDF format (you can read it on any device (mobile, kindle, PC), and you can easily print it).
Secure and simple checkout with PayPal, you can pay with your credit/debit card, or with your PayPal account.
Price: $29.95, one time payment, no hidden fees or upsell. 60 days risk free money back guarantee .
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Bonus materials – Just to help you decide

You will learn how to answer the following interview questions, common in all levels of interviews:

Can you tell me something about yourself?
Why did you leave your last job?
Why should we hire you?
What are your weaknesses?
And eleven other common interview questions.

This priceless guide will help you and your loved ones in any interview, for many years to come.

Winning interview strategies and interview secrets
Mp3, instant download.
From a reputable interview coach, founder of Interview Penguin website.

Buy Assistant Principal Interview Guide today, and get these two interview success products for FREE.

Your interview does not have to be stressful, or difficult. You can interview with confidence, and give brilliant answers to all tough questions. Download the guide today, and succeed in your interview for a job of an assistant principal.

(Secure checkout with PayPal – you can pay with your debit/credit card. Single payment of $29.95. Instant Download. 60 days money back guarantee. No renewals, no upsell, nothing. Just one eBook and a great job contract waiting for you.)

Sincerely,

Glen Hughins,

Your personal job interview coach

P.S. Send me a message if you have any questions. I try my best to answer all messages within twelve hours. Thank you! (glen[at]assistantprincipalinterviewquestions[dot]com).