Associate Principal Pre-Qualification Pool

San Diego Unified School District; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 109,000 - 183,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

District health and wellness benefits

Job summary

San Diego Unified School District in San Diego, California is creating an Associate Principal Pre-Qualified Pool for the 2026-2027 school year. The pool identifies leaders who can serve as co-administrators, support the instructional program, and collaborate with principals and district partners.

Successful candidates demonstrate instructional leadership, strong knowledge of school operations, and a commitment to educational equity.

Qualifications

• Minimum Qualifications: Any combination of education, training, or experience equivalent to three years of effective teaching experience and site leadership experience; thorough knowledge of instructional strategies.
• Licenses and Other Requirements: Valid California Administrative Services Credential.

Responsibilities

• Serve as co-administrator and instructional leader on one or more school campuses.
• Collaborate with key stakeholders to ensure the integrity of the instructional program.
• Build relationships to support staff development and student achievement.
• Develop school plans and procedures to protect health and safety on campus.

Job description

Associate Principal Pre-Qualification Pool

San Diego Unified School District Various Locations - San Diego, California Open in Google Maps

This job is also posted in San Diego Unified School District Job Opportunities

Job Details

Job ID: 5897075

Application Deadline: Sep 10, 2026 11:59 PM (Pacific Standard Time)

Posted: Aug 21, 2026 7:00 AM (UTC)

Starting Date: To Be Determined

Job Description

This is an opportunity to become Pre-Qualified for:

Associate Principal for the 2026-2027 School Year

OVERVIEW:

San Diego Unified School District, the second largest district in California and one of the top largest urban school districts in the United States, is looking for leaders who care deeply for students, inspire passion in their coworkers through collaborative leadership, and are committed to the communities in which they serve. The District seeks leaders who are committed to educational equity and work to create access and opportunity for our students furthest from education justice. Successful candidates must demonstrate their skill as an instructional leader, a firm understanding of school operations, as well as the capacity to build strong relationships with all partners within a school community.

BASIC FUNCTION:

The Associate Principal will act as co-administrator with the school principal performing duties as assigned by the principal involving major portions of school operation and to assume administrative responsibility for the school in the absence of the principal; serve as the primary administrator for summer/ extended learning programs as assigned.

DIVERSITY STATEMENT: Because each person is born with inherent worth and dignity, and because equitable access and opportunity are essential to a just, educated society, San Diego Unified employee commitments include being respectful of differences and diverse perspectives, and being accountable for one’s actions and the resulting impact.

ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL PRE-QUALIFIED POOL PROCESS:

This application process will establish a pool of pre-qualified candidates for Associate Principal positions.

• Step 1: Submit Application Start by submitting your application to this posting.

• Step 2: Qualifications Review If you meet the minimum qualifications, your application will be forwarded to subject matter experts for review.

• Step 3: Level 1 Interview Invitation Candidates considered for advancement will be invited to participate in a Level 1 interview.

• Step 4:Pre-Qualified Pool If you successfully pass the Level 1 interview, your name will be placed in the Pre-Qualified Associate Principal Hiring Pool. Your Assocate Principal eligibility will be valid through June 30, 2027.

• Step 5: Apply for Vacancies Once in the Associate Principal Pre-Qualified Hiring Pool, monitor the District's jobopportunities page for Associate Principal recruitments. Submit an application for each Associate Principal position that you are interested in. You must submit an application foreach site‑specific position in order to be considered.

POSITION SPECIFICS:

• Work Schedule: 219 or 228 days per year
• Salary Schedule: Associate Principal positions on theAASD Site Administrators' Salary Schedule
• Qualifies for District Paid health and wellness benefits for employee and dependents

Examples of Duties:

• Serve as a co-administrator and instructional leader on one or more school campuses.
• Collaborate with key stakeholders to ensure the integrity of the instructional program.
• Build relationships in order to support the skill development of certificated and classified staff.
• Develop school plans and organizational procedures to protect the health and safety of students and staff on campus.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Education and Experience:

Any combination of education, training, or experience equivalent to three years of effective teaching experience and site leadership experience as well as a thorough knowledge of instructional strategies.

Licenses and Other Requirements:

Valid California Administrative Services Credential.

APPLICATION INFORMATION:

To be eligible for consideration, interested candidates must submit the following items. Your application will be considered incomplete if you do not include all required information, including completion of the Work Experience and Education Sections of the online application, required attachments, and responses to all application questions.

• Online employment application
  • A completed online employment application must be submitted/received electronically by the closing date. This application MUST include all required attachments, current and previous employment history and education to evaluate your qualifications, and all other requirements identified in the recruitment and application questions. It is important to note that a resume does not substitute for completing the Work Experience and Education sections. Your application will be considered incomplete if you do not include all relevant details and attachments.
  • Paper applications are not accepted.
• Answer all application questions. The application questions should be answered thoroughly, clearly, and concisely as the responses provided (along with the entire application package) will be carefully reviewed to determine which candidates will move forward in the recruitment process.
• Contact information for all previous places of employment where you served in a certificated position must be listed under the 'Employment History' section of the application (Assembly Bill 2534). As of January 1, 2025, in accordance with Education Code section 44939.5 (as amended by California AB 2534) applicants for certificated positions are required by law to provide a complete list of every school district, county office of education, charter school and/or state special school (also known as a Local Education Agency (LEA)) with which you have previously been employed, regardless of the length of service. The District may contact current and former LEAs at any time during the application screening process.
• In accordance with California Assembly Bill 2534, all applicants for certificated positions must provide a complete employment history. Please adhere to the following:
  • List Every Educational Employer: You must include every school district, county office of education, charter school, other educational institutions, or state special school where you have been employed, regardless of your length of service.
  • HR Contact Information: In the Employer Email field, you must provide the email address for that employer's Human Resources or Personnel Office (i.e., not your direct supervisor).
• Note: These email addresses are required to satisfy the employment verification and background requirements mandated by Education Code section 44939.5.
• Your reference information bullet: Contact information for three references must be listed in the 'Employment History' section of the application. References should from a current or previous supervisor. Reference email requests are automatically generated and sent to the references listed at the time of submission. These reference requests are not an indication of progression in the recruitment process or an interview opportunity. Written reference letters dated within the last year are also accepted and may be attached to your online application in the Reference Section.
• Attach Required Documents (PDF format recommended)
  • Resume
    • Resume must reflect current and past work and accomplishments.
    • A resume is to be attached, but does NOT substitute for completing work history, education sections, or the supplemental questions of the employment application.
  • Credential
    • Valid California Administrative Services Credential is required.
    • A copy of your valid California Administrative Services Credential, or equivalent out-of-state administrative credential, MUST be attached to your submitted online application. Important note: preliminary and clear Administrative Services Credentials submitted with an expired date may not be considered. Verify the copy you upload to your online application is current. Certificates of Eligibility for Administrative Services Credentials typically do not have an expiration date.
    • Detailed instructions to view and print California credential(s) may be found on the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing website at this LINK. For other states, please visit the state educator license/credential website.
    • If you are currently enrolled in an Administrative Services Credential program, you must attach verification of enrollment from the CTC-approved university/ program with the anticipated program completion date.
    • If you are currently in the process of obtaining an Administrative Services Credential by achieving a passing score on the California Preliminary Administrative Credential Examination (CPACE), you must attach a copy of the official score report. If you are scheduled to take the CPACE, you must submit a copy of the confirmation of the scheduled exam date(s).
• Additional Documents(Optional)
  • Cover Letter / Letter of Intent
  • Letters of Recommendation
  • Additional documents, if any, must be attached to the online employment application.

INTERVIEW PROCESS

Candidates selected to move forward in the recruitment process may be invited to a Level 1 interview.

• Interview
  • Level 1 interviews for San Diego Unified (AASD) members* and other candidates are tentatively scheduled to be held Thursday, October 1, and Friday, October 2, 2026, via Zoom. Interview invitations will be sent via email.
  • Special Note: San Diego Unified School District Administrators Association San Diego City Schools (AASD) members will be given priority consideration for this position based on Article 7 of the current collective bargaining unit and by applying online, meeting the position minimum qualifications, and submitting the required attachments.

For questions regarding this job announcement, including priority consideration, please contact Human Resources Analyst Tina Cano [e-mail] .

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

If you have questions about your application, please email [e-mail] .

The San Diego Unified School District communicates information regarding the hiring process via email. Please be aware that the District is not responsible for messages blocked by your email service. In an effort to allow our emails through your personal spam filter, you can try to add [e-mail] [e-mail] to your safe senders list.

San Diego Unified School District is committed to equal opportunity for all individuals in education. District programs and activities shall be free from discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and bullying by reason of the following actual or perceived characteristics: age, ancestry, color, mental or physical disability, ethnicity, ethnic group identification, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, immigration status, marital or parental status, medical condition, nationality, national origin, actual or perceived sex, sexual orientation, race, religion, or on the basis of a person's association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.

For more information about equity in employment, contact:

Title II Coordinator & Uniform Complaint Compliance Officer Eric Rico: [phone], [e-mail] / Title IX Coordinator Anna Ward: [phone], [e-mail] / 504 Coordinator Eri Nall: [phone], [e-mail]

Position Type: Full-Time

Salary: $108,979 to $183,059 Per Year

Job Categories:

Administration > Assistant Principal/Dean/Head

Job Requirements

• Citizenship, residency or work visa required

Contact Information

• San Diego Unified School District Human Resources
• 4100 Normal Street
• San Diego, California 92103
• Phone: [phone]
• Email: [e-mail]

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