OMG My PRINCIPAL IS RETIRING WHAT DO I DO

The principal shapes the school. But students usually don’t know that one is being hired until the decision has already been made. If you want a say in who gets hired, you need an early warning system… and a PLAN.

When I was in 2nd grade, my school was hiring a new principal. One kid from every class (including me!) got to go meet the candidates. The kids and the candidates sat around in a circle, we got to ask them questions, then we filled out a form about what we liked. It felt awesome!

In 12th grade, my high school hired a new principal as well. This time, all the student government kids (including me) got to meet them in a large group. 60 kids, 25 minutes for questions, very unpleasant. It was rushed and a decision had clearly already been made - our feedback wouldn't matter.

STRAT #1: The Accomplice

Ask the principal or the school board to let student leaders know in advance when there’s going to be a new hire. Promise your discretion… But it’s usually the district central office controlling hiring. Unlike the school board (which you vote for), the district office is staffed by, well, anyone. They care about students, but they never go see the school. And they keep secrets, so you’ll need to watch for other signs.

STRAT #2: The Assassin

• Know when your principal announces their retirement
  

  It’s time to MOVE—immediately email the superintendent asking to be involved in hiring.

• Watch job posting sites
  

  Make an account on SchoolSpring.com, then go to My Jobs > Job Assist Preferences.

Set up an email alert for “Admin” job postings in your state under Job Notification Preferences. Unless you’re trying to be *really* involved, only check boxes for “Superintendent” and “Principal.”

When there’s a new job, you’ll know. If this feels excessive, you can also find your school’s own job posting site by Googling for it or… read your school board’s meeting minutes (ew), which you should be able to find with a Google search, too.