Essay Sample on Principle Selection Process

The first step in principle selection process is the formation of the committee members to vet applicants for appointment. According to Clifford (2012), it is the responsibility of the school management committee, under the guidance of the school sponsoring body to appoint the principle. Even though the education decree the permanent secretary for education to make the final appointment of a school principal, the recommendation for the appointment is done by the School Management Committee and its School Sponsoring Body. Therefore, the school management members must ensure that they put in place an effective principle selection process taking into account that the principals exercise a significant influence on the student's achievement as well as the efficiency and effectiveness of the school's operations. In this regard, there are several factors that must be taken into consideration when selecting the committee members.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

To begin with, Clifford (2012) recommends that when selecting the committee members' the school must first be evaluated by the management in order to come up with a set of priorities and goals that are in tandem with the needs of the school. The job and leadership qualities must be formulated based on the necessities of the school highlighted initially. In other words, there must be a clear description of the specific requirements for the post, especially the job and leadership skills, knowledge, and attitudes (Clifford, 2012). Once the job requirements and qualities are clearly defined, a preliminary review of all the applications for committee positions must be conducted, and only the individuals that meet the merit for shortlisting should be considered. During shortlisting, several factors must be considered. First, the quality of the applications should be examined to ascertain that the applicants are qualified; only those that merit should be considered for further review. Boyle et al. (2016) recommend that the individuals shortlisted must be able to attend all the sessions, interviews, consultations, and meetings; otherwise, they should be excluded. However, according to Walker & Kwan (2012), if there is doubt about worthy people and whether they have sufficient time, those individuals should notify the management so that they be appointed as part-time advisors and consultants.

Once the committee is formed, the next phase in principle selection process is to develop the job description. According to Clifford (2012), it is the responsibility of the management committee to develop a comprehensive and accurate job description taking into account the quality, expertise, and skills desired by the school. Once the committee has developed a comprehensive job description, the information should be shared with the potential applicants. However, Clifford (2012) recommends that not all the desired traits should be disclosed to the applicants but rather only the preferred ones; this is to enable them to have a range of objective criteria to evaluate the applicants. In order to make the interview process simpler, the committee should also determine the selection criteria based on the importance. According to Doyle et al. (2014), the job description should also clearly define the applicants who are to be interviewed; this is to ensure that the selection process runs smoothly without any surprise elements. Other factors that should be considered in the description are terms of employment, and whether references opinions, and whether other external consultation will be considered (Doyle et al., 2014; Palmer, 2017; Tomlinson, 2014).

After a thorough job description, the committee then advertises the post for principle application via the school notice boards and media outlets. According to Hambrick et al. (2017), advertisement is mandatory advertising the vacant post for the principle is a mandatory requirement imposed by the Education Bureau in order to ensure that every potential candidate is accorded the chance to apply. This also increases the scope of the applicant and hence enables the school to assess a variety of participants and appoint the best to the position.

Once the application period elapses, it is the obligation of the committee to audit the applications and select the most appropriate individuals for shortlisting. The selection is done under strict and intense criteria that had been initially approved by the committee. At this juncture, the committee should concentrate on skills, ability, and knowledge possessed by the candidate; for instance, years of experience, achievements, awards, positions served, and so forth. The shortlisted individuals are deemed fit for further assessment, which includes but not limited to being interviewed by a panel of committee members, making presentations, or rather submission to the committee on why they are fit for the post, personality tests, and so forth (Palmer, 2018). During interviews, the committee should assess the attributes of the applicant, such as being able to speak confidently and also showcasing the desire to listen; this is particularly because the personal relationships and strong communication skills are integral for the principle to execute their mandate successfully. Further, it is critical for the principle to be able to implement and articulate the school's policies and vision, and this is achievable being able to relate well with the learners and the staff (Rousmaniere, 2007).

The committee may also seek the views of the references concerning the experience of the applicant being interviewed; the reference maybe 2 to 3 individuals, usually past employers of the applicant well known to and nominated by the applicant. However, Palmer & Mullooly (2015), notes that the committee should verify whether the references are genuine owing to the fact that applicants usually nominate individuals who will raise positive views concerning their skills and abilities. Nonetheless, Salas (2019), indicates that the committee could also rely on close contacts of the applicant to supplement the views of the references; however, Sabina & Colwell (2018) states the committee is mandated to inform the applicants in case such action is to be taken. Notably, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (2014), requires the committee members to be objective while assessing the candidates by ensuring that they uphold justice and fairness principles.

Once the committee settles on a particular candidate, they are required to compile a report which will include the overall assessment of the candidate at all the steps involved in the selection criteria. The report should be accompanied by the recommendations and evidence gathered in the process (Rammer, 2007). The board then submits to the school sponsoring body the recommendation and the report to appoint the principle.

References

Boyle, M. J., Haller, A., & Hunt, E. (2016). The leadership challenge: Preparing and developing catholic school principals. Journal of Catholic Education, 19(3), 293-316. https://doi.org/10.15365/joce.1903152016

Clifford, M. (2010). Hiring Quality School Leaders: Challenges and Emerging Practices. Learning Point Associates, https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED509949.

Doyle, D., & Locke, G. (2014). Lacking Leaders: The Challenges of Principal Recruitment, Selection, and Placement. Thomas B. Fordham Institute. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED545231

Hitt, D. H., & Meyers, C. V. (2017). Prioritizing Talent in Turnaround: Recommendations for Identifying, Hiring, and Supporting Principals and Teachers in Low-Performing Schools. The Center on School Turnaround Four Domains Series. Center on School Turnaround at WestEd. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED584125

Palmer, B. (2017). A Renewed Call to Action: Update Principal Selection Methods. AASA Journal of Scholarship & Practice, 14(3), 11-24, https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1157509

Palmer, B. (2018). It's time to upgrade to principal selection 2.0. NASSP Bulletin, 102(3), 204- 213. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192636518794893

Palmer, B., & Mullooly, J. (2015). Principal selection and district hiring cultures: Fair or foul? Journal of Education and Social Policy, 2(2), 1-12.

Pennsylvania Department of Education. (2014). Framework for leadership. Www.Education.Pa.Gov. https://www.education.pa.gov/Documents/TeachersAdministrators/Educator%20Effectiveness/Principals%20and%20CTC%20Directors/Prin cipal%20Effectiveness%20Framework%20for%20Leadership.pdf

Rammer, R. (2007). Call to action for superintendents: Change the way you hire principals. The Journal of Educational Research, 101(2), 67-76.

Rousmaniere, K. (2007). Presidential address: Go to the principal's office: Toward a social history of the school principal in North America. History of Education Quarterly, 47(1), 1-22.

Sabina, L., & Colwell, C. (2018). Challenges of principal succession: Examining the challenges of hiring internal vs. external candidates. Athens Journal of Education, 5(4), 375-396.

Salas, M. (2019). The need for culturally competent school principals: K-12 school district hiring practices. [Doctoral dissertation, University of Texas] University of Texas Digital Archive. https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/bitstream/handle/2152/75785/SALASDISSERTATION-2019.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

Tomlinson, C. (2014). One to grow on the principal in the hallway. Educational Leadership, 71(6), 90-91.

Walker, A. D., & Kwan, Y. K. P. (2012). Principal selection panels: Strategies, preferences and perceptions. Journal of Educational Administration, 50(2), 188-205. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578231211210549