Applying and Interviewing

This is another article in a series that focuses on how to apply for private school employment. You are probably reading this, and thinking that applying for a job at a private school is just like applying for any other job. In some respects you're right. The actual application process will be similar. However, the questions which you will have to answer will require in-depth responses. Also, you will have to supply three references which the school will call if you make it to their shortlist of candidates. Understand these differences and distinctions so that you can beat out the competition. Yes, private school teaching positions are very competitive in most areas of the country.

When you apply for a private school teaching or administrative position, you will encounter several ways of presenting your personal data and information. If you are instructed to complete an online application or a downloadable application form, that resolves the issue of making your application easy to read. The school will have removed all those decisions from you and the other applicants.

Here is an example of an online application used by a Chicago private school.

On the other hand, if you are faced with a free-form situation with little or no guidance from the school as to what to present, or where the school expects you to write short answers or essays, then the tough choices are yours to make. The guiding principle for

Most of us job seekers don't have very much experience with interviews. I know that from my many years of being one of those people who interviewed applicants for positions at the firm I worked for back then. It was always obvious to me which candidates had prepared for their interviews, and which had not.

Personally, I remember being in the same boat myself. As I recall, I was unhappy with the position I held. Honestly, I cannot remember the reasons why I was unhappy, but I started looking for a new job. I emailed my resume replying to a couple of openings and managed to land an interview for one of them. I never prepared for the interview. I simply turned up and winged it. I just assumed that my resume would show who I was and what I offered. How wrong I was! It was the worst interview experience I have ever had. I had no clue about what the job entailed or what questions to ask. Now, since I don't want you to have a similar experience, let's review some of the things which you can do to prepare for your successful job interview at a private school.

What kind of questions will be asked?

I know that the title of this article is Asking Good Questions. So, you are probably asking yourself why questions which the interviewer will ask are relevant. Good question! The interviewer's questions are relevant because you can use them as

Congratulations. You managed to land a place on the interview list. That is significant because interviewing candidates is time-consuming, and schools are increasingly selective in 2026. Now is the time to make the best possible impression. Accomplishing that means answering many questions during the interview with clarity, confidence, and preparation.

Part of any private school interview process is answering questions that you know will be asked. Having said that, you need to prepare for your interviews with the same care and attention as you give your lesson plans. Think through the entire interview. Imagine the questions being asked and your responses. Remember that not only does the content have to be strong, but the style and delivery must present you in the best possible light.

Common Private School Interview Questions

Some of the more common questions include:

• Why do you want to work at this school?
• Why do you want to leave your current position?
• What is the most enjoyable part of your teaching day?
• What books have you read lately?
• When do you plan to finish your master’s degree?

Regardless of the wording, you must understand why the interviewer is asking the question. Schools are evaluating not just your answers, but your fit, mindset, and professionalism.

Why Do You Want to Work at This School?

This question is designed to determine what you know about the school. You must have done your research. Be familiar with its philosophy, mission, and accomplishments. A school’s website is the best place to begin.

A

If you are one of thousands of teachers who have been let go because of budget cuts, you are probably looking for another teaching job. Teaching is what you know. Teaching is what you love. After all, you sacrificed greatly to earn your degree. You could have gone into another profession or business and made much more money. But your idealism and sense of service to your nation's future got the better of you. You became a teacher.

Unfortunately, finding a new teaching position can be a very unsettling experience. Nothing is the same as it used to be. Years ago, you became a teacher. You went through a probationary period of several years. Back then, you were granted tenure, generous benefits, and a pension.

No money = no teachers

The economic meltdown of 2009 and the pandemic of 2020 were game-changers. Those events hit hard. In both situations, school districts struggled with budgets slashed deeply because of declining tax revenues. Suddenly, thousands of teaching jobs were eliminated. Maybe your job was one of them.

Downsizing is a phenomenon that has struck just about everywhere. What is even worse is that the available teaching jobs often don't come with the kind of generous benefits and tenure to which we all have grown accustomed. That's a thing of the past in most parts of the country.

The irony is that we as a nation have never needed talented teachers more than we do now. Our students are doing poorly

An employment application is no place for half-truths. You have to understand that private schools have a fiduciary responsibility to their clients. They cannot afford to hire somebody who might jeopardize the school's reputation or, worse yet, cause harm to students. That is why it is so important to answer all the questions on an employment application truthfully.

Background Checks

Most private schools will use a service to do background checks on any potential new hires. They will not run the background check until they have interviewed you because background checks are expensive. That's another reason why you need to be truthful about anything in your resume which will arouse probing questions and nix your chances of even being interviewed.

What the background check really examines is your criminal and credit history. If you were charged with a criminal offense or have bad credit, that will show on your background check. Take the offensive and point out that your credit was destroyed by huge medical bills as a result of your mother suffering from Alzheimer's. Don't be creative. Just tell the truth.

Expect a drug test at some point in the hiring process. Since views about pot and even alcohol vary widely from one part of the country to another, make sure those tests come out clean. If you have been prescribed a controlled substance that will show up in a drug test, mention it proactively and file a copy of your doctor's prescription just in case