It really varies. I've been on interview teams where every member had a vote, and others where the principal had veto power.

OP, the market is such that if you don't get this job, you'll get another one, soon. Good luck!

MCPS teacher here. I didn’t meet the last two principals until after I was hired.

I’ve also been on interview panels multiple times at three different schools and none included a principal. He or she relied on our impressions. They never hired anyone we didn’t recommend.

How much say the others get in hiring is probably up to the principal.

This. Some principals are egomaniacs. Some are not.

Sometimes in FCPS they would do that. How much say the others get in hiring is probably up to the principal. I once vetoed a hire when I was a teacher, but only because the principal let me. And I went to big group interviews as a candidate, although I'm sure the final decision was all the principal. Still I would recommend trying to be nice to everyone at the interview - the one I vetoed was someone who was actually rude to me during the interview.

Anonymous wrote:Does the principal always have the final say with hiring teachers? Can the elementary team or assistant principal influence the decision? I'm interviewing and unlike in Virginia where it was only the principal, I'm in interviews with the whoe grade level team plus the principal.

plus the assistant principal.

Does the principal always have the final say with hiring teachers? Can the elementary team or assistant principal influence the decision? I'm interviewing and unlike in Virginia where it was only the principal, I'm in interviews with the whoe grade level team plus the principal.