Here at The New School Leader, we are committed to helping new and aspiring school leaders develop the skills that they need to take the next step in their leadership journey.
I still remember what it felt like to realize I wasn’t even going to get a chance.
I wasn’t trying to become a principal overnight. I was just trying to get an opportunity.
After years of teaching and coaching, I decided I wanted to become an assistant principal. I applied in the district where I knew I wanted to work, but despite strong relationships and years of experience, I couldn’t even get a pool interview.
One of my former principals finally told me the truth: “If you’re not already an assistant principal, they’re probably not going to look outside the district.”
At the same time, the district where I was teaching required educators to complete its Aspiring Assistant Principal Academy before being considered for a leadership position. Because I hadn’t been in the district long enough, I wasn’t even eligible to apply for the Aspiring AP Academy, let alone an assistant principal position.
I was going to have to work another year in that district just to get a chance to be in the Academy, and if I did get in, I’d have to work there for at least another year to earn an opportunity to apply for the pool. If I stayed there, it would be AT LEAST 2 more years before I would even have a chance to be considered for a pool interview. I was incredibly frustrated, and I honestly felt like the deck was stacked against me.
I knew I had to make a move, so I changed districts and stepped away from coaching football to invest in learning the work of school leadership.
I read every leadership book I could find.
I volunteered to help my administrative team with anything they needed.
About seven months later, I got into the pool, and I earned my first assistant principal position.
Looking back, I don’t think I got the job because I had the perfect interview. I got the job because I had spent the previous year becoming the kind of leader they wanted to hire.
Later, I realized I wasn’t the only one struggling.
I watched talented educators spend years trying to get past the pool interview process and then years more trying to land their first assistant principal position.
So I started helping them… One conversation at a time… One mock interview at a time… One coaching session at a time.
Eventually, those conversations became articles.
Those articles became videos.
Those videos became The New School Leader.
Today, everything we create is designed to solve the problems I wish someone had helped me solve.
Every article.
Every video.
Every template.
Every course.
Every conversation.
They’re all built around one goal:
Helping aspiring and new assistant principals take the next step in their leadership journey.
Because I haven’t forgotten what it felt like to be standing on the outside, hoping someone would give me a chance.
And if The New School Leader can help someone else earn their chance, every article, every video, and every resource is worth it.
Dr. Lute Croy
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