Aspiring Assistant Principal Academy

The Aspiring Assistant Principal Academy is Los Fresnos CISD's premier leadership development program designed to prepare aspiring campus leaders for Assistant Principal, Dean of Instruction, and Instructional Officer roles. Grounded in the Assistant Principal Readiness Criteria and the district's Profile of a Leader, the Academy provides authentic leadership experiences, coaching, campus shadowing, and purposeful professional learning that build the confidence, competence, and leadership capacity needed to successfully serve as a campus leader.  

Who Should Apply?

Whether you currently serve as a teacher, instructional coach, interventionist, counselor, librarian, instructional specialist, or another educational leadership role, the Academy is designed for educators who are committed to growing their leadership capacity and positively impacting students, staff, and school communities. 

Unlike traditional leadership development programs, the Academy is built on the belief that effective campus leaders are developed through authentic experiences, purposeful coaching, and intentional reflection. Rather than preparing leaders through professional learning alone, the Academy provides meaningful opportunities to apply leadership in real campus settings while building the competencies outlined in the Assistant Principal Readiness Criteria.

Every leadership experience is intentionally designed to help participants move from leading within their current role to confidently serving as a campus leader.

🎯 Authentic Leadership Experiences 

Learn by Leading

Leadership is developed through experience. Participants strengthen their readiness by leading campus initiatives, facilitating meetings, supporting instructional improvement, and completing authentic leadership assignments that build confidence and leadership capacity.

💬 Coaching & Feedback 

Grow Through Coaching

Every participant receives intentional coaching and meaningful feedback from experienced campus and district leaders. Coaching conversations encourage reflection, strengthen leadership practice, and support continuous professional growth throughout the Academy.

👥 Leadership Shadowing 

Experience Leadership in Action

Participants shadow experienced Assistant Principals, Deans of Instruction, and Instructional Officers as they lead instructional systems, student support, campus operations, and organizational management. These experiences provide valuable insight into the daily responsibilities of campus leadership.

📚 Readiness-Focused Professional Learning 

Learning with Purpose

Professional learning is intentionally aligned to the Assistant Principal Readiness Criteria and designed to complement authentic leadership experiences. Each learning session equips participants with practical leadership strategies, tools, and frameworks they can immediately apply in their current role.

The result is a leadership development experience that prepares aspiring campus leaders to confidently lead with purpose, strengthen instruction, foster positive school cultures, and make a lasting impact on students, staff, and their school communities. 

The Aspiring Assistant Principal Academy is intentionally designed around the 70-20-10 Leadership Development Model, recognizing that meaningful leadership growth occurs through authentic experiences, strengthened through coaching and reflection, and supported by purposeful professional learning. Every component of the Academy is intentionally aligned to the Assistant Principal Readiness Criteria, ensuring participants develop the knowledge, skills, and leadership dispositions needed to confidently serve in campus leadership roles. 

70% | Authentic Leadership Experiences

Participants strengthen their readiness by leading campus initiatives, facilitating professional learning, supporting instructional improvement, participating in leadership meetings, engaging in campus shadowing, and assuming authentic leadership responsibilities beyond their current role. 

20% | Coaching & Feedback

Leadership growth is strengthened through purposeful coaching, reflective conversations, and meaningful feedback from experienced campus and district leaders that support continuous professional growth and leadership development.

10% | Professional Learning

Professional learning provides practical leadership knowledge, tools, and frameworks that participants immediately apply through authentic leadership experiences throughout the Academy.

Leadership Readiness by Design 

Every experience is purposeful. Every experience builds readiness. 

Every leadership experience, coaching conversation, campus shadowing opportunity, and professional learning session is intentionally aligned to the Assistant Principal Readiness Criteria. This intentional design ensures participants develop the confidence, competence, and leadership capacity necessary to successfully serve in campus leadership.