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.
We believe good leadership can transform a life, a campus, and a culture.
We believe leadership is a skill that anyone can develop.
We believe the best leaders belong to a community of like-minded people who are committed to developing their craft.
We believe leadership is based on actions, not titles.
There’s a moment in many assistant principal interviews that reveals more than your responses to the questions. A candidate finishes responding to a question… And then they keep talking. They add context.They clarify intent.They explain what they really meant. When this happens, what often gets lost is the answer. Why …
One of the quiet challenges for aspiring assistant principals is this: They’re asked to demonstrate leadership before they’ve ever been formally in charge. They haven’t supervised teachers.They haven’t made final decisions.They haven’t carried the title. And yet—real leadership should already be visible long before any of that happens. Where Aspiring …
When principals ask candidates to describe a decision they made, they aren’t just listening for the outcome. They’re listening for ownership. Not ownership in the sense of taking credit or assigning blame—but ownership of judgment. They’re quietly asking: Does this person see themselves as an actor or a bystander? Do …
What hiring teams are really listening for when they ask, “What would your teachers say about you?” On the surface, this feels like a soft question. “What would your teachers say about you?” Many candidates relax when they hear it. They shouldn’t. This isn’t a personality question. It’s a credibility …
When I first started trying to move into the assistant principalship, several people offered the same advice: “Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get the job. Sometimes, it’s just not the right fit.” I didn’t want to believe that. The competitive side of me was convinced that if I could …
