To be qualified to apply for FCPS' Principal Pool, candidates must have or be eligible to hold a Postgraduate Professional License with endorsements in administration and supervision preK-12, plus seven years of progressively more responsible experience in teaching and administration or supervision, with a minimum of three years administrative experience (Note: acting, staff development, and/or resident assignments do not count toward years of administrative experience). 

Out-of-State Applicants: To be considered eligible for a VDOE postgraduate license, candidates must hold a valid professional license that permits them to be a principal in their state or jurisdiction. For more information, please visit the VDOE website (interested out-of-state candidates are encouraged to actively begin the process for their Virginia license).

Candidates applying to the FCPS principal pool need to upload a current resume and respond to an essay prompt.

• Resume
  • Guidelines
  • Example

Documents are screened and assessed by the Human Resources Administrative Hiring Team using a performance matrix.

Applicants invited to move forward to Step 2 will participate in an online assessment.

• Candidates will be given two days to complete the online assessment and submit a detailed response.
• Candidate responses are assessed using a performance matrix.

Applicants invited to move forward to Step 3 will participate in an evaluation of their skill sets relevant to the principal position.

• Performance assessments include three tasks: a teacher observation task, a complex scenario task, and an interview. All tasks and interview questions are aligned to the FCPS Performance Standards for School Leaders.
• Both tasks and the interview are assessed by members of the FCPS leadership team and experienced principals using a performance matrix.
• Suggested reading materials include FCPS' School-Based Administrator Evaluation Standards, FCPS' Strategic Plan, and Portrait of a Graduate.