Reader I want to share something today that I've seen trip up more aspiring principals than almost anything else. It's not a lack of experience. It's not a weak resume. It's how they walk into the interview room. Most candidates prepare like they're studying for a test. They memorize answers. They rehearse scripts. They try to predict exactly what the panel will ask and have the "perfect" response loaded. Here's the problem: panels don't hire the person with the best memorized answers. They...

Reader When I was preparing for my first principal interview, I searched everywhere for resources that were actually useful. Not generic interview tips from people who had never sat on a hiring panel. Not vague leadership advice from consultants who hadn't been inside a school building in a decade. I wanted preparation built by someone who had actually made the hiring decision — someone who knew what panels were really looking for, because they'd been on both sides of the table. I couldn't...

Reader Let me ask you something that might sting a little: Are you walking into principal interviews and answering like a really good teacher? Because here’s what I’ve seen after 20+ years on both sides of the interview table — the most qualified candidates don’t always get the job. The ones who sound like principals do. And there’s a real difference. A great teacher answers with what they’d do in their classroom. A principal answers with how they’d move an entire building. Different...