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Name

EPPSP Group 38
Butler University

The Experiential Program for Preparing School Principals

STANDARD:
#28: Participate in a selection process leading to the employment of a new faculty
member. Participate in the screening and employment of new teaching or administrative
personnel. (ELCC 3.2)

Summary: Since the Covid-19 pandemic began, many districts are on a hiring freeze for the
coming school year. The district in which I teach, Lawrence Township, is a part of this. However,
in the growing Dual Language program, our students are students heading to the next grade, for
which we do not yet have teachers. So, the hiring process must continue for six new Dual
Language teachers in the district.

I was invited to join the Zoom interviews for two candidates for these positions. The hiring team
consisted of the Director of Human Resources, the Director of Language Learners, five building
principals, and five current Dual Language teachers. One of the candidates we interviewed will
be moving from Puerto Rico to teach here in Indianapolis, and the other is a soon-to-be college
graduate.

The interview began with questions from the district-level directors, then moved to the building
principals and the teachers, and concluded with questions from the candidate. Below I have
noted some of the impactful questions that were asked.

District-level Principals Teachers Candidates


 Tell us about your  What can you bring to  Give an example of  What is next school
background. this new position? how you develop a going to look like
 Explain your teaching  What is your lesson because of Covid-19?
experience experience  What is the key to a  What are your
 What is your dream collaborating and successful expectations for me?
position planning? classroom?
 What are you looking  How do you blend  How do you help
for in a school? STEM into the parents get involved?
curriculum?  How do you develop
 What is your relationships with all
experience students?
collaborating with
SpEd teachers on
IEP goals?
 What strengths do
you bring to a team?
Reflection:

Both candidates were very well spoken. As someone who interviewed in this setting in front of a
very similar panel just two years ago, I was very sympathetic to these two candidates. The size
of the group of interviewers is very intimidating, and some of the questions are asked and
expected to be answered in English, while some are asked and expected to be answered in
Spanish. Each candidate is at an advantage at times and a disadvantage at others, as even
though they speak both of the languages, there is inevitably one in which they feel more
comfortable.

While I participated in this process as a teacher, I tried to also spend some time observing it as
a future administrator. I tried to analyze the types of questions that were coming from the
leaders, and how they were portraying themselves and the culture and climate of the district as
a whole, as well as of their individual schools. Each one had a very different style, and it was
interesting to observe that the candidates felt more comfortable responding to questions from
some administrators rather than others, just by the tone of their voice or the nature of their
question.

As was alluded in the previous paragraph, my biggest takeaway from this experience was how
much an administrator can affect a candidate’s views and ultimately their decisions on
employment. The final question that came from one of the candidates was, “What are your
expectations of me?” The answers shared by the principals really gave great insight into their
views about a school and education as a whole. The answers they provided were:

- “that you are open, flexible, and ready to grow, but more than anything that you love
the kids.”
- “that you are willing and able to ask for and use support. I would also like you to be
creative in your planning and implementing of lessons.”
- “that you are engaged and confident in your teaching.”
- “that you want to be here and love the kids.”

These answers truly showed me that the building leader is ultimately responsible for the climate
of the school. What they believe is portrayed in everything they do. From the moment a
candidate is interviewed and potentially hired, they have the opportunity to add to our school
culture. A principal models the school culture in everything he or she says and does. Hired
candidates reflect that leader’s vision of a successful school, and the candidate then takes the
reins to become a part of that culture and help it develop.

Artifacts:

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