Assistant principals are well on their way to getting the big job, so their cover letters need to convey a sense of momentum and achievement, without coming across as overbearing. The best assistant principal cover letter will describe how you are humble and keen to learn.
While their responsibilities will vary wildly from school to school, the content of the cover letter should be tailored to the exact demands of each post. While this may seem like a lot of work, every cover letter should be written with a specific school (and even principal) in mind. Principals tend to share a lot with the world, so getting a sense of the school’s ethos has never been easier. Try to mirror this ethos in your cover letter.
Your cover letter should convey a sense of how you go about your school duties. It is less factual than a resume, so you have license to go into a little more detail about your leadership ethos. Hundreds of teachers and students depend on your approach – why are your more effective than any other education leader?
When an assistant principal role is specific to the education industry, it may be worth looking further afield for inspiration from other leaders. Our library of cover letter examples is filled with excellent variations on the leadership theme. Have a good think before you sit down to write your assistant principal cover letter. How can you make your application stand out? In this guide and the corresponding assistant principal cover letter example, we cover:
- How to find a format that will help to frame your story
- Which parts of your assistant principal career story to share
- How to write the cover letter if you have no management experience
- Mistakes to avoid in the cover letter if you want an interview invite
Best format for an assistant principal cover letter
Just as a report card should be written in a certain way, there are certain expectations for an assistant principal cover letter. While your content should be as unique as possible, you should not deviate from the norm in terms of how you set out the letter. You don’t want to stand out for the wrong reasons, so don’t reinvent the wheel. The typical format of every assistant principal cover letter looks like this:
- The cover letter header
- The greeting/salutation
- The cover letter intro
- The middle paragraphs (body of the letter)
- The ending paragraph of your cover letter (conclusion and call-to-action)
School correspondence is often somewhat formal, so the tone of the cover letter should follow suit. Have a look at how the job description has been written. The language on the school website may also offer some insights. Imagine you’re talking to the principal and then add in an extra layer of formality. There is nothing worse than a leader who seeks to ingratiate themselves with the team from day one. Maintain a certain distance to start with.
Assistant principals will also know the importance of how they present information. Our comprehensive cover letter guide details some more subtle considerations about cover letter writing such as which fonts to choose and how visuals may impact a hiring manager.
Our assistant principal cover letter sample may offer some inspiration:
Dear Principal Walker,
During my career as an assistant principal, I have worked in both elementary and secondary schools, from 250 to 700 students. I enjoy supporting the vision of a progressive principal and have a track record of delivering on ambitious projects.
I have supervised from 25 to 65 teaching staff, led the improvement of educational programs, supported individual students with special needs, and managed admin teams. My staff evaluation process was copied by three other school districts and our school was designated a center of excellence for teaching progression thanks to my training modules.
In terms of curriculum development, I have overseen two major changes in subject provision over my career, increasing the range of subjects taught in one school by 15% and modifying the internal examination system for another. Both resulted in greater student engagement and significant improvements in educational outcomes.
My most recent project of note was developing a student mentoring service that was used by 70% of the school. I know that increasing student participation is important for Jefferson High, so I am interested to discuss how this might work with you. Extra-curricular attendance increased by 35%. When you give young people responsibility for one another, they rise to the challenge.
I hope to have the opportunity of an interview to find out more about your strategic plans for the next few years. I feel that I might be in a position to help.
Sincerely,
Faye Barton
Cover letter header
Cover letters are about the visuals as well as the content, so opt for a professional and sleek cover letter header with minimal additional colors or flourishes. Share your full name, address, and email details so that the principal can invite you to an interview the moment they decide. Your cover letter will be read after the resume, so don’t omit these vital details.
While there is no requirement to write your full home address (there are data protection issues here), writing the inside address of the school is still required in formal correspondence. This would not be our advice for most professions, but for an assistant principal who knows the address of the school, it is recommended and not so hard to do.
Cover letter greeting
Assistant principals should be used to formal writing, so they will automatically greet their principal correctly. “Dear Principal Surname” is likely to be the most common salutation in a school setting. The name of the principal will either be on the school website or on the job posting.
In a bigger school, the name on the job description may well be someone from the HR department but do your best to address it to the principal as they will be the ultimate decision-makers. Avoid the cold “to whom it may concern” if possible.
Cover letter introduction
The introduction of an assistant principal cover letter should get straight into your impact on the school, your management of the staff, or leadership in teaching initiatives or pastoral care. Your accomplishments should be quantified and contain as much context as possible – do not simply mirror the duties listed within the job description.
What you share will depend on your level of experience. If the job is more strategy-led, share the bigger picture achievements. If you have done a lot of work helping your colleagues, lead with some of your teacher development. Assistant principal roles are varied – depending on the size of the school, so think carefully about what might grab the attention.
Dear Principal Walker,
During my career as an assistant principal, I have worked in both elementary and secondary schools, from 250 to 700 students. I enjoy supporting the vision of a progressive principal and have a track record of delivering on ambitious projects.
Cover letter middle part (body)
The middle part of an assistant principal cover letter needs to focus on their academic and management credentials. What results have your previous schools achieved through your leadership? How have you developed the teacher that reported to you?
Pick out the top 3-4 aspects of the job description and write a sentence about each of them. Every school will have different challenges, so don’t assume that your past successes will always be a perfect fit for your future activity.
While there should be a good deal of education-specific content, don’t allow the assistant principal cover letter to become too dry. You will be working closely with the principal, and they will be the one making the hiring decision, so make sure that you share some of your personality. While you may know them by reputation, don’t try to be someone that you are not. Tell a faithful story of what you are like to work with.
Most importantly, the cover letter should be packed with context and quantifiable achievement. Simply mirroring the job description will not do. Show that you value results and tell the story of how you got there.
Every school will likely have a piece of software called an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to help them handle the volume of applications that come through for each role.
While there may not be such a high number of assistant principal applications, you will still need to pass this hurdle. It may be that some schools as the ATS to filter applications by keywords, so make sure that you include enough of the language in the job description to avoid falling through the gaps.
One of the enemies of educators is verbosity. Talking too much when students could be working things out for themselves is a cardinal sin. In this light, is your cover letter as succinct as it could be? Less is more when you are trying to impress.
Check out our assistant principal cover letter sample for ideas:
I have supervised from 25 to 65 teaching staff, led the improvement of educational programs, supported individual students with special needs, and managed admin teams. My staff evaluation process was copied by three other school districts and our school was designated a center of excellence for teaching progression thanks to my training modules.
In terms of curriculum development, I have overseen two major changes in subject provision over my career, increasing the range of subjects taught in one school by 15% and modifying the internal examination system for another. Both resulted in greater student engagement and significant improvements in educational outcomes.
My most recent project of note was developing a student mentoring service that was used by 70% of the school. I know that increasing student participation is important for Jefferson High, so I am interested to discuss how this might work with you. Extra-curricular attendance increased by 35%. When you give young people responsibility for one another, they rise to the challenge.
How to close an assistant principal cover letter (conclusion and sign-off)
The conclusion of an assistant principal cover letter should end with one last mention of your students. They are why you go to work every day. While your job may seem somewhat removed from the average classroom teacher, their success is your success.
End the letter by mentioning that you are keen to find out more about the role at a potential interview. Every assistant principal role will be different, so this curiosity is perfectly normal. Don’t be presumptuous about the certainty of getting an interview – write in hope rather than expectation. This call to action should prompt the hiring manager to react.
I hope to have the opportunity of an interview to find out more about your strategic plans for the next few years. I feel that I might be in a position to help.
Sincerely,
Faye Barton
Assistant principal cover letter with no experience
Not every assistant principal applicant will have been an assistant principal previously. Do not let this lack of experience deter you from applying! It is likely that you have had a wealth of informal management experience under your belt. The cover letter is your chance to explore just why you would be a perfect choice. If you feel that you are lacking experience, the following may help your cause:
- Share why your previous management experience is relevant.
- Demonstrate that you have the interpersonal skills to be successful.
- Tell a story of your progression into positions of responsibility.
- Share your motivations around why you wish to be an assistant principal.
Assistant principals should be consummate communicators, so the main consideration when you do not have specific experience is to write a convincing cover letter. Securing yourself an interview is the goal here. Then you have the chance to expand on your sales pitch.
Basic mistakes in an assistant principal application letter (and how to avoid them)
Every piece of writing that you send out to both students and parents will be scrutinized. Your attention to detail should be top-notch. Avoid these cover letter mistakes.
- Spelling and grammar skills may not be your greatest strength, so use an online checker such as Grammarly and ask a friend or colleague to proofread.
- Don’t just parrot the role responsibilities. The principal knows what the job entails. They want to understand the detail of why you think you are a great fit.
- Be suitably formal. While your everyday interactions with the principal may be relatively informal, the cover letter should err on the formal side.
Key takeaways
- The letter should share a mix of academic, leadership, and personal stories
- Make sure that the cover letter matches up with the demands of the job description.
- Share your personality – the principal will be working closely with you.
- Choose an attractive design with our cover letter templates.
Looking at examples of other education cover letters can spark inspiration:
