Principals & Assistant Principals
Embrace Possibility. Lead in Philadelphia.
The School District of Philadelphia is redefining the school experience, with a renewed focus on equipping all students with the skills and knowledge they need for success in college and a rewarding career. We believe that strong school leaders are critical to helping us fulfill our ambitious mission to redefine the public school experience for every child in the city. So it’s no surprise that we take school leader selection seriously. Our student body comes from a vast range of cultural, socioeconomic, and family backgrounds. And every day, Philadelphia’s community of school leaders rise to meet new challenges with dedication and innovation, determined to restore our city’s legacy of excellent public schools. Will you join us?
Opportunities
Who We Want
The School District of Philadelphia is committed to transforming the education opportunities it offers the city’s 200,000 school-aged children. The district seeks school leaders who have a passion for working with children and leading innovation to ensure all students achieve. With a diverse complement of over 200 schools, the district offers a wide range of school leadership opportunities. Successful District principals and assistant principals are highly motivated, persistent and creative educators who are able to align a school’s resources, systems and people around a rigorous instructional program. A school leadership position in the district provides the chance to be an integral part of an urban education renewal effort from its inception.
We’re seeking passionate educators who share our commitment to making our district a place where all students thrive and who demonstrate the competencies below.
Uses deep mastery of curriculum, instruction, and assessment to ensure all students engage in learning that demonstrates high academic achievement and growth
Demonstrates the growth mindset, self-awareness, adaptability, and resourcefulness to inspire and achieve vision and goals
Recruits, selects, develops, and retains a highly effective team, fostering a culture of performance management and continuous learning that values and prioritizes staff and student learning (for principalship only)
Understands and builds relationships with students, families, and all stakeholders in their school community and establishes an environment that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusivity
Articulates and implements a short- and long-term vision and strategy to ensure student success (for principalship only)
Manages the key resources and systems needed to ensure the effective management of school systems and operations
How to Apply
Our rigorous application process helps us – and you – determine if you are a right fit for the school leadership in our district.
The application consists of a set of questions that ask about educational background, resume information, and location preferences. It also includes short answer questions. In total, the initial application should take 45-60 minutes to complete. After submission, you’ll receive a response from our team in approximately two to four weeks.
Based on your initial application, you may be invited to complete a performance task which will help us further assess whether school leadership with our district is a good fit for you. It should take 1-2 hours to complete, and you will have one week after receiving the performance task to submit it for review.
Based on your performance task, you may be invited to participate in a 30 minute phone interview.
Based on your phone interview, you may be invited to join a half-day in-person interview event with other candidates, which will include interviews, roleplays, and case study performance tasks.
Candidates who successfully complete Selection Day will be placed in our Principal or Assistant Principal talent pool. Candidates in the talent pool will be eligible to interview with Assistant Superintendents (for principalship) or Principals (for assistant principalship) and designated school-based teams as leadership vacancies become available.
Finalists for Principal roles will interview with Superintendent Dr. William Hite and Chief Schools Officer Dr. Shawn Bird. Finalists for Assistant Principal roles will interview with Assistant Superintendents.
Principal Application
Application Opens:
October 17, 2017
Application Closes:
March 23, 2018
Selection Days:
December 12, 2017
January 23, 2018
February 13, 2018
March 13, 2018
April 24, 2018
Assistant Principal Application
Application Opens:
January 8, 2018
Application Closes:
March 2, 2018
Selection Days:
March 8, 2018
April 6, 2018
Why Choose Philly?
- Culturally Rich: Philadelphia is home to world-renowned museums, historical landmarks, awesome venues, and gorgeous gardens
- Family Friendly: Families discover the magic of each season with Philadelphia’s extensive list of family-friendly events, performances, and attractions
- Outdoor Oasis: Philadelphia boasts year-round beauty, incredible public gardens, and 4100 acres of scenic bike trails, waterfront, and woodlands
- Extraordinary Dining: More than a decade of development has transformed Philadelphia’s dining scene, and it continues to emerge as one of the country’s finest culinary destinations
- Proximity: In addition to all that Philadelphia has to offer, it’s centrally located, so it is easy to hop on a train, catch the bus, or drive to New York City, Baltimore, and Washington D.C.
Resources and Information
Last modified: April 3, 2018
