Succession Plan for School Leaders

About the Program

Category: Personnel Management, Employment and Training (Best in Category)

Year: 2012

Henrico County Public Schools’ Strategic Plan seeks to recruit, hire, train, and evaluate personnel to ensure they are effective and accountable. To that end, the HCPS School Board adopted a new policy and regulation in October 2010 around a formal Succession Plan. The purpose is to ensure a cadre of well-prepared leaders within the district. The first step in the HCPS Succession Plan was a focus on the preparation of individuals aspiring to the most critical leadership position in the school – the principalship. To accomplish this, a training position, Associate Principal, was created. Eligible employees are required to possess a state Administration/Supervision certification endorsement and have leadership experience in a school beyond the classroom teacher position. Further, potential candidates were expected to participate in the HCPS Leadership Assessment Center, in which specific job-related skills were observed and assessed. Based on the results of the Leadership Assessment Center, along with previous performance evaluations and observations of job responsibilities, Associate Principals were selected within a few months. The efficiency of Henrico County's Succession Plan for School Leaders is a valuable asset to the public school system. Now, schools are able to identify and choose the most qualified candidates in a shorter amount of time.