With a new principal comes new changes to the school. The Cedar Post interviewed students and staff to see what they think the newly appointed principal of Sandpoint High School, David Miles, is doing right, wrong, and, most importantly, differently from the previous principal Tom Albertson.

What has changed since Mr. Miles became principal?

“Not too much as of yet,” stated Sam Robinson, Junior and Student Council member. 

Miles hasn’t made too many changes to the school itself; the real difference is his personality. 

“He has more things that are important to him,” said senior Savannah Morgan, another Student Council member. “For example, the homecoming dance being on a Friday rather than a Saturday.” 

While it may seem insignificant, Miles’ attempt to change school tradition (though not successful) was a big step for a principal just three weeks into the job.

Is working with Miles different the former principal, Tom Albertson?

As is visible in Miles’ routine morning handshake and greeting, the new principal appears much more involved in the daily lives of students and staff than the previous principal, .

“I really like how much he’s been in my classroom lately…he’s really making an effort to know the students,” said Wendy Auld, math teacher, who taught Miles when he was in high school.

Because of his background as a Bulldog, student, coworker, and, now, a principal at Sandpoint High School, Miles is able to connect with teachers on a more personal level.

Has Student Council been functioning any differently with Mr. Miles in place?

According to Mary Imaz, Spanish teacher and Student Council Advisor, Miles has been trying to work closely with student council and planning major events, but “[Albertson knew the ropes, whereas for Mr. Miles it’s something new]. He has surely been working with us however,” said Imaz. 

In the future, Student Council members, like Savannah Morgan, hope that even while he is working with them now, he will start being even more involved as it is “very beneficial to [Student Council].”

What are Mr. Miles’ strengths and how will they benefit the school?

“One thing that I like so far is that he’s really weighing his choices before making changes,” math teacher Lisa Cessna said. “He’s looking into the pros and cons and taking opinions from the teachers and the students.”

Said Robinson: “He’s a pretty good public speaker, a people’s man, so he seems like an easy guy to talk to. He’s also trying to connect with the students, which are really good things for a principal to be.”

How does Miles respond to this?

Miles took a chance to respond to what teachers and students have been saying about his performance during these first few months: 

“It makes me happy to hear that people are noticing me in the classroom,” Miles told the Cedar Post. “It’s obviously my goal to try to get to know students, hold teachers accountable, and just be a presence. 

“I don’t want to be the invisible principal that makes rules from the background. I want to be involved, understand whats going on, be a part of people’s lives, and be there for people that need to ask questions,  get explanations, or get support on whatever it is that they are doing in the school. That’s just the person that I have always been and the kind of leader I strive to be. I want to support what other people are doing rather than initiating whatever it is that I want. Hopefully that’s being seen and heard, and it sounds like people are happy with that. 

“Obviously, trying to grasp the immensity of the job is much larger than I anticipated, even so, getting into a classroom once a week has proven to be difficult. In the last job I had, I was in every single classroom every day and knew every student by name, which is a lot harder here, so I’m glad that people are noticing and hopefully we can make a positive change together and hold each other accountable.”