This assistant principal resume example shows how to present leadership, instructional support, and school-management experience in a clear, job-focused format.
You will find a template, concrete bullet examples, and formatting tips that help your resume pass screening and appeal to hiring teams.
View and download this professional resume template
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💡 Pro tip: Use this template as a starting point. Customize it with your own experience, skills, and achievements.
assistant principal resume example: Professional Summary
Start with a 2-3 sentence professional summary that highlights your leadership focus and measurable impact.
Mention years of experience, the grade levels you supported, and one or two strengths such as disciplinary systems, curriculum planning, or staff coaching.
Keep this section focused on the job you want and include keywords from the job posting.
assistant principal resume example: Core Skills and Certifications
List 6 to 10 core skills that match the vacancy and your strengths, using short phrases rather than full sentences.
Include certifications such as state principal certification, school administration licensure, or specialized training in special education if they apply.
Organize skills in two columns or a compact bullet list so they are scannable by recruiters and applicant tracking systems.
assistant principal resume example: Work Experience (with bullet examples)
Describe each role with a two-line heading and 3 to 6 achievement bullets that begin with a strong action verb and include quantifiable results when possible.
Focus on management tasks, instructional leadership, disciplinary systems, community engagement, and outcomes such as improved attendance or growth on assessments.
Use the STAR approach when writing bullets, but keep each bullet outcome-focused and concise.
Assistant Principal, Lincoln Middle School, City, State — 2019 to Present. Led a team of 45 staff and supervised daily operations for a school of 780 students, improving on-time attendance by 7 percentage points through a targeted family outreach program.
Directed a schoolwide behavior management initiative that reduced major office referrals by 32 percent year over year, while training teachers on restorative practices and tiered interventions.
Coordinated curriculum alignment across math and ELA grades 6 to 8, resulting in a 12 percent increase in proficiency on state interim assessments over two years.
Managed the master schedule and staffing allocations to reduce class size averages by 1.5 students in core subjects, improving teacher feedback on workload balance.
Developed and implemented professional learning cycles focused on formative assessment, which increased teacher use of exit tickets from 25 percent to 78 percent of observed lessons.
Education and Professional Development
List degrees and the institution, followed by relevant leadership certifications and professional development.
Include program names, completion dates, and any honors when applicable.
If you have coursework in educational leadership, data-driven instruction, or school law, add brief clarifying notes to show relevance.
Formatting and Length Guidelines
Keep your resume to one page if you have less than 10 years of leadership experience and to two pages if you have extensive district or multi-site leadership history.
Use a readable font at 10 to 12 points and 0.
5 to 0.
75 inch margins to keep layout professional.
Use consistent date formatting and clear section headings so a hiring manager can scan your most relevant accomplishments quickly.
How to Tailor this assistant principal resume example for Different Roles
Adjust the professional summary and work experience bullets to match whether the role emphasizes instruction, operations, or community partnerships.
For roles heavy on curriculum leadership, prioritize examples of assessment growth and teacher coaching.
For roles focused on operations or equity, emphasize program management, scheduling, budgets, and initiatives that improved access or climate.
ATS and Keyword Tips
Read the job description and repeat exact phrases where they match your experience, such as 'instructional leadership', 'school improvement plan', or 'MTSS'.
Avoid graphics, headers or footers for essential text because some applicant tracking systems do not read them.
Use common section headings like Education, Experience, and Certifications to help automated systems parse your resume.
Optional Sections and Additions
Consider adding brief sections for Publications, Presentations, or District Committees if they support your candidacy and demonstrate leadership beyond the school site.
Include community engagement examples such as partnerships with local agencies or parent leadership councils when space allows.
If you include references, note that they are available on request rather than listing full contact details.
Example Resume Template
Header: Your name, current title, city and state, phone, email, LinkedIn URL.
Professional Summary: Two concise sentences tailored to the posting.
Core Skills: 8 items in two columns.
Experience: Role, school, dates, then 3 to 6 achievement bullets per position.
Education and Certifications: Degree, institution, certification name and state, year.
This template follows a reverse chronological format and places measurable outcomes near the top of each job entry.
When you translate this into your document, replace template verbs with specific actions that reflect your daily responsibilities and results.
Cover Letter and Application Notes
Write a short cover letter that references one concrete accomplishment from your resume and links it to the hiring team's priorities.
Use the cover letter to explain transitions such as moves between districts or shifts from classroom to administration.
Keep the tone professional and align language with the job posting.
Best Practices
Start with a targeted professional summary that mirrors key phrases from the job posting and states your leadership focus.
Quantify accomplishments when possible, for example attendance gains, reduction in referrals, or percentage improvements on assessments.
Prioritize recent, relevant experience first and keep bullets focused on measurable outcomes rather than daily task lists.
Use a clean reverse chronological format and consistent styling for dates, job titles, and bullet punctuation.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Additional Tips
- 1If space is limited, combine short related bullets into one strong achievement that shows both action and result.
- 2Ask a colleague who hires staff to proofread for clarity and to confirm that your impact statements are easy to understand.
- 3Save your resume as a PDF with a simple filename that includes your name and the word resume, for example JaneDoe-Resume.pdf.
Final Thoughts
Use this assistant principal resume example to structure a focused, results-oriented document that highlights your leadership and instructional impact.
Keep editing until each bullet proves your contribution to student learning or school operations, and then run a final check for clarity and keywords before you submit.
You have the skills to succeed; this format helps you present them clearly.