Assistant Principal Licensure
Michele in Illinois, who has been asked about taking an assistant principal position for next fall and already has administrative experience, wrote in to ask whether it would be better for her to obtain a principal's license or a Master's in Teacher Leadership. Jack Kronser, a school human resources director in the Denver area, responds: "I am an HR Director in Colorado but I came from Illinois. If you are being asked to look into the position of Assistant Principal, you will need a state license (Type 75 in Illinois, Principal License in CO) to be able to evaluate certificated or licensed staff at a building level. If you complete a Master's Degree in Teaching, that will not do it for you. You will need to enroll in a college or university program designed to complete an administrative licensing program."
The only thing I would mention in addition to Jack's advice is that the district might be able to ask the state—if your principal is willing to go to bat for you—for a temporary license until you can receive the full certification from a college or program. Also, you may be able to find programs that will talk with you about accepting courses of your previous Master's degree and/or your work experience in order to waive some of the required coursework.
