join our team
APPLY NOW TO LEAD OUR SCHOOLS TO EXCELLENCE
If you have the capacity to demonstrate leadership and vision and are prepared to improve instructional quality and improve student achievement, then we need you!
There are several phases to successfully become a school leader: the application, a review of your application and credentials, the pre-screening process, a performance-based interview, community engagement, and receiving an offer letter.
When you join Team Tulsa as a school leader, you become part of an incredible team that's working hard every day to change the world for students. Our school leaders are transformational, passionate, caring educators who share a firm belief in ensuring success, equity, and opportunity for all of our students. We understand that our principals are key for student success. We support your growth and continuous learning so that you can focus on hiring and cultivating talent, building relationships, and fostering a positive and safe school culture of learning.
If you're interested in maximizing your transformational leadership potential, apply to join Team Tulsa today!
Please note that all offers of employment are conditional and contingent upon successful background screening and drug testing.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A SCHOOL LEADER AT TULSA PUBLIC SCHOOLS?
We believe that children can achieve ambitious goals and make positive contributions to our world.
We value continuous learning to help our leaders grow through ongoing development.
We are committed to equity and provide supports to match student needs.
We believe that our school leaders are the key to success and we're all-in to help them get there.
We strive for excellence and are willing to make difficult decisions for students when necessary.
We are innovative and support our leaders in solving problems for our students.
We are a team that values families, community members, and school collaboration.
We have fun and embrace joy to inspire a lifelong love of learning for our students.
Interim school leadership selection Process
We know that the school leader is integral to the success of our school communities and for leaders to be successful, we must ensure a strong and productive fit between the school leader and the school community which is why each school leader in Tulsa Public Schools will spend one-year as an interim school leader if selected to lead in one of our amazing school communities.
Candidate Application Submission and initial screening
- The application window opens annually in December.
- All applications are submitted via our online platform.
Interim SCHOOL LEADER pre-screening process
Applicants who meet experience and qualification requirements will be invited to complete a pre-screening phone interview and in-person written response.
Interim school leader selection process interview day
Applicants who successfully complete the pre-screening interview and written response will be invited to our full-day interview. There are a number of activities during the full-day interview, and participation in each activity is dependent on your score in the previous activity/activities. The full interim school leader selection process interview day includes:
- Video review of a teacher’s instructional practice and rating of the teacher’s performance using the Tulsa Model Rubric
- Small group discussion of a problem of practice where candidate teams will be expected to develop recommendations and next steps for consideration.
- Presentation of a 30-day entrance plan using school performance data (data will be provided in advance of the interview day). Each 10-minute presentation should include identified challenges as well as strategies to overcome those challenges.
- Role play of a scenario where a principal is offering feedback to a teacher. The role play will also include follow up questions from instructional leadership directors.
Candidate admission into interim School leader candidate pool
Applicants who are successful in the Interim School Leader Selection Process Interview Day will be admitted to the interim school leader candidate pool. Once in the pool, potential interim school leaders will meet with instructional leadership directors for follow-up questions and discussions regarding potential school matches. If a match is found, candidate will interview with the superintendent of schools and superintendent designee(s) for possible recommendation and subsequent board approval.
candidate transition into an interim School leadership role
Applicants who are appointed to schools are named as interim principals. This means that new school leaders have a year-long opportunity to build strong partnerships with their teams, connect with their school communities, and build the strong foundations that they need to be successful in their roles. Interim school leaders are fully compensated as school leaders during this period.
School Community Engagement in the Permanent School Leader Selection Process
Step Six of the school leader selection process provides opportunities for school community input.
Stakeholder Forums
(Only completed when the principal's departure is known by February 1.)
The district will engage community stakeholders to determine characteristics they would most like to see in their next school leader.
The superintendent or superintendent designee and instructional leadership director will convene school stakeholder groups (staff members, parents/community members, and secondary students) to identify the characteristics that would be necessary to successfully lead that specific school context. These leadership characteristics will be considered in naming the permanent school leader.
Informational Meeting
(Will occur prior to the winter holiday break each year for all interim principals.)
The superintendent or superintendent designee and the instructional leadership director will gather input from community members regarding the interim principal's work during the first semester. The instructional leadership director will facilitate an informal meeting (not an interview) with the interim principal and school stakeholder representatives.
The instructional leadership director will gather written and verbal feedback from the representatives regarding the candidates' strengths and/or opportunities for support. Those representatives will be selected from the following stakeholder groups:
- Teachers (2)
- Support Staff Members (2)
- Students (1; Secondary Only)
- Parents (1; PTA President or district selects an involved parent if no PTA exists)
Candidate transition into permanent school leader Position
Step Seven of the school leader selection process will begin once a permanent principal is named.
After the superintendent has announced the final selection of the school principal, the instructional leadership director and principal will convene a transition team to support ongoing planning for school improvement, engagement, and supports. The transition team will advise and support the principal in developing an entry/improvement plan for the school, a draft of which will be delivered to the instructional leadership director and superintendent's designee by the first day of school. The transition team will consist of one representative from each of the following groups:
- Teachers (1)
- Support Staff Members (1)
- Parents (1)
- Alumni (1)
- School Foundation (1)
- Students (1; Secondary Only)
Professional learning spotlight: School leaders institute
Tulsa Public Schools' School Leaders Institute creates a community of ongoing learning for our Team Tulsa principals and assistant principals. Through monthly institute sessions, school leaders have the opportunity to engage in workshops and professional learning designed to:
- Deepen school leaders' understanding of the school performance framework.
- Facilitate the goal-setting process for students in the upcoming school year.
- Help set district-wide outcome targets for student achievement and school culture.
- Assist leaders in assessing personnel needs and allocations to best align budgets with student needs.