Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School Principal Search
Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School Principal Search
Dear Samuel W. Tucker School Community,
Beginning immediately, we will initiate the interview process to select the next principal for Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School (Tucker). We look forward to collaborating with students, staff, families and the broader school community to find and retain the best candidate for this important position in our community. We look forward to your engagement as a vital part of this process.
The position will be posted on Monday, April 7, 2025, and I have asked John Porter to assist with the search and hiring process. Some of you may know Mr. Porter as he served as a teacher, principal, and assistant superintendent in Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) before retiring in 2009. He returned eight years ago to ACPS in a part-time capacity and has coordinated approximately 30 searches for the school division since his return, including for numerous elementary school principal positions.
As one of the first steps in the engagement process, Mr. Porter will send you an invitation to provide your thoughts, via an online survey, about Tucker and what you would like to see in your next principal. He will use your thoughts and comments to develop a Principal Leadership Profile that will help guide potential candidates and interview panels during the process. Families and staff will also be involved in the interview panels with broader student, staff, family, and school community participation as the process narrows the candidate field to meet-and-greet sessions with the two finalists for the position. The Tucker community will be encouraged to provide thoughts and comments about the finalists. We expect to have a new principal in place by June 16, 2025.
The Tucker webpage will soon provide a special section on the principal search with important documents related to the process—job description, timeline, Principal Leadership Profile, and updates. I encourage you to check this webpage regularly for important information. You may also contact john.porter@acps.k12.va.us with questions as this work proceeds.
We look forward to engaging you in this process as we move Tucker forward to its next exciting chapter in support of our amazing students, staff, and families.
Sincerely,
Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt
Superintendent of Schools
Leadership Profile for Principal: Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School
- Purpose
This Leadership Profile defines the specific attributes for the next principal of Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School. The profile reflects input from several stakeholder groups to include staff, parents, and the broader school community. Applicants and selection panels will use this profile to assess the candidate qualities of the position.
- Introduction and Background
The Alexandria City Public Schools initiated a search for the position of principal of Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School in April 2025, to replace the principal who moved to another position in the school division.
ACPS gathered information for the leadership profile from a community online survey with staff, parents, and community members. The online survey was open to the public. The survey requested participant comments about the strengths of the school, challenges facing the school and qualities/attributes desired in a new leader. The survey received comments from approximately thirty-two parents and staff members. Approximately, sixty-eight percent of the respondents indicated they were parents with thirty-two percent being staff.
As there was no requirement for participants to provide personal identifying information, there may have been some duplication of survey responses. There were, as will be evidenced later, several consistent themes in the survey responses.
Note, the data provided are not a scientific sampling, nor should they necessarily be construed as representing the majority opinion of the respective groups providing feedback.
As search consultant, I have reviewed the comments made and provided a summary of consistent themes in a concise manner to support the application, interview, and selection process for the new principal. This report, by its nature, cannot include all comments made.
The strengths, challenges and traits noted will be used to inform prospective candidates and panelists. The successful candidate will be one who, through the interview and selection process, best fits the leadership profile. The selected principal will be a school leader who can provide excellent educational, social, and personal outcomes for students, staff, parents, and the community.
- Consistent Themes from the Online Survey
Strengths of Samuel W. Tucker School
- Strong and collaborative staff.
- Strong sense of community.
- Diversity.
- Culturally aware and focused.
- Students.
- Academic programs.
- Modified calendar.
Challenges for Samuel W. Tucker School
- Resources/staffing for specific students/programs.
- Behavioral expectations.
- Communications—Clarity of message/expectations.
- Expanding parental involvement.
- Overutilization of facility.
- Diversity of student needs.
- Academic opportunities.
Desired Personal Qualities/Attributes of Principal
- Excellent listener/communicator.
- Open-minded.
- Committed to diversity.
- Personable.
- Organized.
- Supportive.
- Friendly, warm, kind, and fair.
- Responsive and transparent.
- Intelligent and innovative.
Desired Professional Qualities/Attributes of Principal
- Strong Leader.
- Advocate for students and school.
- Visible/present.
- Focused on academic achievement.
- Focused on students—“student centered.”
- Professional and knowledgeable of special programs and data.
- History of success.
- Strategic thinker.
- Sample Comments from the Online Survey.
The following statements provide an overview of feedback from the online survey relative to the school community and attributes desired in the new principal:
- “The new principal at Samuel Tucker should have strong instructional leadership, ensuring high-quality teaching and learning for all students.”
- “Good leader and have the ability fix the challenges.”
- “Organized, timely, clear communication.”
- “Understanding of the diverse population, supportive of teachers.”
- “I hope the new principal will provide clear and consistent messages…”
- “Experience working with a diverse student body; demonstrated ability to increase test scores in the student population; experience working with the school board to advocate for the school.”
- “Communicative, professional but personable, able to manage conflicts and address hard problems with families from a compassionate but firm presence.”
- “Relational, cultured, responsive, respectful, personable, innovative, goals oriented, good team player, great analytical skills, driven and energetic.”
- Instructions to Applicants.
A candidate should use this profile to make a self-assessment and determine how she/he best fits the qualities sought by the school community. These characteristics should be reflected in the content of the application/interview. Should the applicant be selected for an interview, the candidate must demonstrate these qualities in the screening process. A strong principal should demonstrate leadership and management skills, inspire trust, and build support in the school and across the community. We seek a principal who can adopt these qualities for the Samuel W. Tucker School community.
- Closing.
I extend my thanks to all who provided feedback via the online survey. Your time, effort and concern are most appreciated. We look forward to the selection of the best candidate as your next principal.
Sincerely,
John Porter
School Principal Search Consultant
Department of Human Resources, ACPS
Timeline for Principal Search for Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School
April 2025
- April 7, 2025—Post Job Description/Announcement.
- April 8, 2025—Post online survey for staff, parents, students, and community members.
- April 11, 2025—Online survey closes.
- April 21, 2025—Post Leadership Profile online to accompany job description.
- April 7-21, 2025—Paper application review to select candidates for first round panel interviews.
- April 14-18, 2025—Spring Break
- April 28 and 29, 2025—First-Round Panel Interviews. The goal is to select candidates for second-round panel interviews.
May 2025
- May 1, 2025—Second-Round Panel Interviews. The goal is to select two finalists.
- May 6, 2025—Finalists meet and greet with staff and PTA/Community in two separate virtual meetings. The community virtual forums are posted online for three days for viewing/feedback.
- May 7-9, 2025—Staff and parents/community provide feedback on finalists from virtual meet and greet sessions.
- May 13-15, 2025—Individual interviews of two finalists with the Superintendent of Schools.
- May 29, 2025—Alexandria City School Board approval.