Principal Internship/Pre-qualified Principal (PQP) Pool- 11/1/25 – 6/30/26
Job Specific Information: Internal MCPS applicants will be considered for the Pre-Qualified Principal (PQP) and Principal Internship. Only internal MCPS applicants can be considered for the principal internship. External applicants will be considered for PQP only. Window for the PQP (internal and external candidates): 11/1/25 – 6/30/26 Window for School Year (SY) 26-27 Internship Pool (internal candidates): 11/1/25- 1/30/26 Applications received after 1/30/26 will be considered for SY 27-28 Internship Pool
MCPS Official Job Description
Salary Information:
Please see below for the following wage ranges.
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Elementary & Middle School Principal Positions: $138,683 to $193,886.
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High School Principal Positions: $142,314 and $193,078.
APPLICATION WINDOW
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Application window for the PQP (internal and external candidates): 11/1/25 – 6/30/26
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Application window for School Year (SY) 26-27 Internship Pool (internal candidates): 11/1/25- 1/30/26
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Applications received after 1/30/26 will be considered for SY 27-28 Internship Pool
Pre-Qualified Principal (PQP) & Principal Intern Process
CLICK HERE for overview of process and CLICK HERE for detailed application information
APPLICATION PROCESS
Only complete applications with the below items will be considered
Letter of Interest
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Addressed to the Selection Committee in the Division of Human Resources and Talent Management. Please upload letter of interest to your MCPS Careers Profile.
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Specify if applying for Pre-Qualified Principal Pool and/or Principal Internship Program
Current Resume -
Evidence of 2 years of assistant principal experience
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Include a list of 3 references in your resume.
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The resume should not exceed two pages, and there is no required format.
Recommendation Letter
**The interest letter, resume, and recommendation letter should consist of the following information:
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details pertaining to the impact of your leadership as outlined in the competencies
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information regarding the impact of your leadership on student achievement and building staff capacity
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qualitative and quantitative data and concrete examples demonstrating your leadership and impact of your work
Undergraduate and graduate transcripts (external candidates)
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Upload unofficial copies on MyCareers Profile
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Provide official copies sent directly from the institution to MCPS at [email protected]
Certification Requirements
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Admin II Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) Administrator II Certificate EVEN IF THE MCPS CERTIFICATION OFFICE HAS A COPY
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Non Maryland state administrator Certifications, need to be uploaded along with transcript information for review to determine Maryland Admin II certification eligibility
Leadership Artifact
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Upload one current artifact (as a PDF) demonstrating an authentic work product of your current leadership.
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Topics may include, but not limited to the following (improvement of teaching and learning; school culture and climate; social emotional well-being; systemic initiatives; equity and antiracism; school and office operations; student services)
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Guiding Questions- Is this work authentic, current and demonstrates your leadership? What was your goal in initiating the work and why? What was your role in the work? What qualitative or quantitative data shows that you made an impact? What did you learn and what would you do differently?
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Considerations- Keep in mind your audience and be concise with providing context and relevance of your chosen artifact. Please note that artifacts are NOT awards, emails, letters of recommendation, course completion, or an email.
A&S Staffing Office Contact Information (Please include all of the below names on your email)
Certification Requirements
- Admin II Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) Administrator II Certificate EVEN IF THE MCPS CERTIFICATION OFFICE HAS A COPY
- If you do not have Maryland State Administrator II Certificate, please upload the following to your MyCareers Profile:
- Upload unofficial copies of undergraduate and graduate transcripts
- Upload any state teaching and administrator certificates
- Upload your State Leaders Licensure Assessment (SLLA) Test Code 6990 (151 or higher qualifying score)
- If you have principal experience from another state, please have your previous school district(s) complete verification of at least 27 months of effective performance as a principal by completing the Maryland State Department of Education Verification of Experience form (CLICK HERE). Please also upload your end of year performance evolutions from the last 3 years demonstrating satisfactory performance.
- CLICK HERE to review MSDE Admin II Eligibility
Job: Principals
Job Grade: P-Q
Organization: Offices
Primary Location: Multiple Locations
Schedule: Full-time | 1.000 (80 hours bi-weekly)
Working Months: 12
Shift: Day Job
Job Posting: Oct 31, 2025, 11:00:00 PM - Jun 30, 2026, 10:59:00 PM
