I went into the Summer feeling pretty good. There were some things I wanted to improve on and that was my focus. I spent most of the summer doing my own professional development. I also casually looked at job postings and applied for a couple of Assistant Principal pools in different districts.
I returned to work in mid July. Upon my return, I met the person that was hired for the vacant Assistant Principal position. She had worked in the district for years and the school year prior, she held the same position as me at a high school. Her husband was also an administrator in the district.
Admittedly, I felt some level of contempt for the new Assistant Principal. Why was she chosen for the position and I wasn’t? She had done nothing to me personally and was quite pleasant when we met. I did my best to answer her questions and to help her acclimate to the campus.
I met with the new campus Principal. I informed her that because this was the last year of my position, I would be actively seeking Assistant Principal positions. She was understanding and told me that she would help me in any way that she could.
A week later, I was on the way home after work when I received a phone call. I was asked if I was interested in interviewing for an Assistant Principal position. I excitedly accepted the offer to interview. I was surprised because I applied for the Assistant Principal pool and not for an Assistant Principal position. I had two days to prepare for a screening interview.
The following day I returned to campus and informed my Principal about the interview. The next day I had my screening interview with the Principal and Assistant Principal of the campus via Zoom. The interview went well although I still was unsure of what was to come. The next day I received a call and was offered a chance to participate in a panel interview.
I gladly accepted and began my process to prepare for the interview. Two days later, sitting in the front office of the campus, I had so many thoughts running through my mind. The interview was scheduled for 3:30, so I knew that I had better make a good impression. When it was time to interview, the Assistant Principal walked me back to a large room filled with people.
There were at least fourteen people including the Principal and the Assistant Principal. I had participated in interviews with large panels before, so I wasn’t too nervous. I answered the questions as best I could and tried to show some of my personality. I felt that the interview went well. I know what kept me from being overly nervous was the fact that I still had a job.
I received a call the next week from the Human Resources department of the district. The person on the other end of the phone congratulated me for being the finalist for the Assistant Principal position. I think I was partially in shock. Her voice on the phone was so soft I didn’t know if she said finalist or a finalist. She informed me that the next step was a meeting with the district’s Deputy Superintendent.
I had never heard of a candidate meeting with the Deputy Superintendent of a district as part of the hiring process. This was quite nerve racking since I still wasn’t sure if I was chosen for the position. The meeting went well. It lasted maybe fifteen minutes. After returning to campus, I received the call that I had waited five years for. I was selected to be an Assistant Principal.
I was in my former school standing in the stairwell so I could not yell. I calmly accepted the offer. I excitedly walked outside and called my wife to give her the great news. I could not wait to get started.
My Life In Education… 