Two Harbors High School principal steps back

Two Harbors High School Principal Brett Archer will be making an unusual move back into his former role as assistant principal this fall.

At a special meeting May 23, the Lake Superior School District School Board voted unanimously to approve the change of position. He had requested the move at the previous board meeting May 14 and the board table the issue when only two approving votes were cast.

“I think they were a little hesitant the first time because I think they were surprised,” Archer said. “My guess is they felt maybe something was going on that they didn’t know about.”

Archer said the board may have been originally surprised by his request since he didn’t explain in detail why he wanted to make the change.

Board member Cyndi Ryder of Two Harbors said Archer was largely responsible for the change in voting last week.

“He had some conversations with a couple of us and helped us understand why he wanted to do what he wanted to do,” she said.

Archer was promoted from dean of students, another title for the assistant principal job, to principal of Two Harbors High School in 2010. He said during the past two years, he had a chance to reflect on his role as principal.

“That might not be the best fit for me,” Archer said at the board meeting last week. “I really think that in the assistant role, I think that that meets who I am as a professional. I enjoy working with kids, I enjoy helping kids through the struggles they have, I enjoy doing a lot of things the assistant principal does.”

Archer said he’s been thinking about the change for several months. Now that assistant principal Corey Knighton is resigning to move to Red Wing, Archer said it was an opportunity for him to take over Knighton’s position and support someone else as principal.

“In my mind it’s not going backwards,” Archer said at the first meeting. “It’s moving to where I think I fit best and I think I can serve you (the board) better and serve the kids better in that role.”

Archer said the principal position demands a lot of time of energy.

“I’ve got young kids and after doing it a couple of years my wife and I talked and decided that we’ll have a little bit more time for family goals and for other things I’d like to pursue,” he said.

School Board Chairman Dwight Moe said after the board approval that he would rather see Archer move to the assistant role than lose him completely.

“I wish he was staying on as principal, but it’s his decision,” Moe said.

Tags: two harbors, news, education