Superintendent Position Interview Questions
- Q: What educational background ensures that you are a good candidate for the position of superintendent here at Collins High School?
A: From the years 2000 until 2007, I attended Stanford University. Whilst there, I completed my undergraduate degree in Education with a minor in school administration. The Stanford Graduate School of Education is the only graduate school offering an undergraduate degree, so the choice was an obvious one for me. I have wanted to be involved in the Education system for as long as I can remember. After receiving my Bachelor of Education, I achieved a master’s degree (cum laude) from the same institution. I am currently pursuing my Ph.D. in Education on a part-time basis.
- Q: What professional experience do you have as a superintendent? Do you have any other relevant experience that would be beneficial should you be awarded the job?
A: My experience is heavily set within the educational realm. After completing my master’s degree, I went to work as a high school teacher in the Alabama Chickasaw City Schools district. I was placed in one of the most challenging school districts in the country, which was no easy feat for someone just out of Graduate school. I, however, thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and had one of my students place first within the district that year. I was at Lake county school for four years when I was offered a job as a principal in a neighboring county. Whilst I have been principal of City View High School, I have been heavily involved in matters surrounding the upliftment of the school district and in implementing improvements that have been sustained and carried over into many schools and districts in the area. I have been the principal and an active member of the school board for over ten years now, and I would like the opportunity to take what I have learned from these experiences and replicate them as a superintendent.
- Q: What do you think your greatest strength is as a potential superintendent and why?
A: I think my greatest strength is that I truly want to see a change in the school district. As briefly mentioned above, my experiences have involved creating and sustaining programs centered around change and the adaption of school programs into meaningful contributions within the school district. I think I bring a lot to the table with regards to change for the better, and I have the know-how and ability to implement these kinds of changes in sustainable ways and are even able to be replicated in other areas of the community. I have a passion for solving solutions and helping the children of a community achieve the best possible results within their academic, sporting, and cultural endeavors.
- Q: What do you think your greatest weakness is as a potential superintendent and why?
A: I would say that my greatest weakness as a potential superintendent is that I struggle to communicate my findings and solutions to those around me. I am a person who tends to pick up on mistakes and issues and then look to find solutions to the problem immediately. I, therefore, sometimes do not stop to communicate these said issues. This is something that, as a principal, I have had to overcome through a series of creative tactics and through the hiring and use of assistants who can be responsible for said communications. I understand that with being a superintendent, a lot of communication is necessary. Therefore, this is something that I am actively working on improving with every situation and circumstance I find myself in.
- Q: We have interviewed several impressive candidates for this position. What do you think makes you stand out to your competitors?
A: I don’t see this just as a potential job. I see the opportunity to shape the way our future generations are involved in the world. It’s easy enough to go along with the norm and create a functioning system, but I want to look at how our students function within the system and how we can make it better for them. I have a firm belief that within a school, and to the greater extent a district, there needs to be a well-balanced community, one that is happy. I believe that this all starts with our children.
- Q: What are your salary expectations should you be awarded the job? what is your current salary?
A: As this is a 25th percentile school district, I would be happy to accept an annual income of between $120 000 – $140 000 per annum. As the City View High School principal, I have an annual income of $110 000 per annum.
- Q: Should you receive the job, where do you see yourself and the district in five years’ time?
A: My aspirations as a superintendent involve a multitude of different goals:
- The uplifting and supporting those children who fall into the lower-income family bracket. I hope to start after-school programs that relieve the pressures that come with living in a low-income home and start programs based on the upliftment of these children and their families.
- Technological advancement within the schooling program and unlimited access to the different types of technology (laptops, tablets, etc.)
- After-school lunch programs to ensure that none of the students within the district are ever hungry.
- Tutor programs that provide excelling students with compensation and allow those who need help to get it in a safe and comfortable environment.
These are all projects that were started within my current district, and I hope to replicate these successes into this school district. With a focus on creating cost-effective and sustainable programs across a broad spectrum, I hope to see the school program thriving in this area in even less than five years.
- Q: In your own words, what is the job of a superintendent?
A: A superintendent is a person who runs and manages all aspects of school functioning within a school district by taking and implementing all ideas and programs designated by the board. It is within the superintendent’s responsibilities to ensure that a school district is running and functioning to the best of its ability. Should it not, the superintendent is to correspond with a board in methods of solving the issues. The superintendent is responsible for ensuring that each principal within his/her district is actively looking to portray your and the board’s wishes and desires for the district. The annual evaluation of each of these principals also falls within the duties of the superintendent.
- Q: Should you be offered the superintendent’s job, would annual formal inspections of your superintendency by the board be something you would be for or against?
A: I would be for having annual formal inspections. I believe in creating a cohesive and structured system, and in such a system, everyone should be accountable for their actions and maintain transparency within their work. I think that constructively looking for ways to better oneself and the program is an important part of running a school district. Things are changing at a faster pace than each of us within a community can manage alone. Coming together and all helping work towards having a cohesive system is just one way to make a difference. Within my current school district, every principal has bi-annual inspections by the superintendent, and as far as I know, the superintendent is privy to the same bi-annual review.
- Q: What are your thoughts on the advancing technological world we live in? How do you plan to stay on top of these changes within a district like ours?
A: Our world is constantly changing. From technology to food to art, it’s all rapidly developing in new and amazing ways. I think a great way to stay on top of the changing motions of society is to go directly to those who are most involved in the changes, the students. Having students become active counterparts in keeping informed and making sure the school district is up to date with the latest advancement can be invaluable. It is important for us, as teachers and board members, and for them. Giving student unions the responsibility of having an active role in their own community can develop their own opinions and inspire potential.
- Q: Should you be offered the job, when would you be able to start (please keep in mind the time it would take to inform your current employer)?
A: As the school, I am only beginning the process of finding a new principal now. I would effectively only take over the position in two months (1 July 2021). Within this two-month period, I could begin the transfer process and be completely settled into the role by the beginning of the third month (1 July 2021).
Also read WPF Interview Questions 2021 with Sample answers
