The principles of the principal
Karelis puts the students of Aitkin High School first
By Alexandra Brucker
Published April 19, 2022
As the clicking and clacking of his leather shoes echo throughout the hallway, the students’ eyes meet his gaze. He smiles and waves at them — they do not return the gesture. They stifle their giggles until he is around the corner and out of sight. What they don’t know is what he does after he rounds that corner. As Mr. Paul Karelis enters his office he sits down at his computer and opens his email inbox. This morning it is littered with hundreds of messages from parents and teachers alike. He sighs. Three teachers are out sick today, do we have enough substitutes? He calls his go-to subs — none of them are available. He sighs again. As he makes phone calls to various teachers, a sense of dread looms over him. Trying to find souls willing to sacrifice their prep hour is near impossible, everyone is busy. It is likely he will have to do the job himself. As he frantically dials the phone, he receives another email; four students tested positive for Coronavirus yesterday. He now has to add contact tracing to the top of his ever-expanding To-Do list. He tentatively peeks at the list and the endless rows of meetings and requirements for the day. It makes him nauseous. It is only 7:30 in the morning and the principal of Aitkin High School already knows he is up for, yet again, another sleepless night.
Most students in our school may not know it, but Mr. Karelis was once a student at Aitkin High School himself. He knows what it is like to go to class here, roam the halls, and participate in school sports and activities. Some think that this piece of his past adds a special quality to the way he works. One of these people is Mr. Karelis’s secretary, Tharcia Foss. In an interview with me, Tharcia stated that she has been impressed with Mr. Karelis since the day of her job interview. She started off the interview by saying, “I was so impressed with his qualities. He was very personal and very professional.” She continued to describe how she looked up to Karelis because he grew up in Aitkin and came back to be the principal after he finished college. She closed this thought with a beaming smile on her face as she said that even after they had just met, she immediately “could see the love behind his job.”
After graduating from Aitkin High School in 1980 with highest honors, Karelis continued to expand his education at the University of Minnesota. What many may not know is that Karelis didn’t always want to be a principal. It wasn’t his first choice, or even his second. In fact, when I interviewed Karelis he informed me that while attending classes at the U of M he switched his major five times. First, he wanted to major in Veterinary Science, then he changed it to Agricultural Education, then to Agricultural Business, then to Economics, and back to Agricultural Education. First, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree with this major in 1985. Later that year, he taught science classes to grades 9-12 in Markesan, Wisconsin and was the head coach of the school’s football team. In 1990 he began working in Adult Farm Management and as a secondary teacher at Worthington High School. As the years passed, he pursued more teaching opportunities until he went back to school to switch his major for the fifth and final time. He received his Master’s in Educational Leadership in 2006 and he currently holds a K-12 principal and superintendent license.
Aitkin High School social studies teacher Scott Miller explained that he was on the interviewing committee and was a part of the team that hired Mr. Karelis. When asked what his first impression of Mr. Karelis was, Miller stated that if he was being completely transparent, he wasn’t sure about Karelis. Miller admitted that he thought Karelis was more well suited for a larger district and even went as far as to say that he found him a bit “old school.” While some may interpret this as harsh criticism, Mr. Miller was quick to point out that he thinks of Karelis highly and respects the way he runs the school. He explained that from the standpoint of a teacher, he values Karelis’s management style: “He lets the teachers teach. I very much appreciate that about him,” He said. “We’re allowed to do what we do, and do it well.” Despite this, Karelis admitted that he is “not a very effective principal here right now because [he] is tied so tight with attendance and disciplinary issues.” While taking all of this into consideration, I still believe that Karelis is doing the best he can and I think that many would agree. As a matter of fact, during our discussion, Miller stated, “We all want more from leadership, but in reality, I don’t think there is anyone more capable of being a principal at a school of our size and budget.”
If observing Mr. Karelis has taught me anything, it’s that his job is not easy. Based on the fraction of his days that I’ve been allowed to examine, “not easy” is an understatement. Every morning when he gets to school he checks his email for teachers out of school and new Coronavirus cases in the building. He then shapes his day based on this information and plans from there. Tharcia explained, “With having so many people out, Mr. Karelis has had to sub. He has taken so many long hours late into the night just to finish his job because he’s actually helping out other teachers.” After finding out if he needs to contact trace or sub for class, Mr. Karelis stands in the hallways greeting students on their way to class. He declared to me that he tries to do this every morning if possible because no matter what is going on, he likes to see students’ faces before they start their day. You can typically find him between the intersection of the building’s North Entry and the cafeteria. As he stands there he welcomes each student with a bright smile and a cheerful greeting. One by one, the students file to class like animals following a herd. Once the vast corridor is completely void of activity, Karelis moves on to his next task. If he is not already subbing, he goes to his office and responds to emails, schedules meetings, attends meetings, meets with students and faculty that share concerns with him, and deals with punishments towards students in violation of school policies. This barely even scratches the surface of what Karelis does in a typical school day. Not to mention the fact that his routine looks completely different every time. Each day brings new challenges and factors that he may not have had to deal with the day before. In fact, in a short five-minute conversation with him, Mr. Karelis shared with me that he wakes up at 6 a.m. and goes to sleep between 3-4 a.m. every night. After observing him and hearing from his staff, I don’t doubt this whatsoever.
During our interview, Karelis shared with me that he has a lot planned for our school and how to make it better. “I want to build programs,” He said, eyes gleaming, “that give students the hands-on learning opportunities they need to become successful.” It is clear that while it may be stressful, Mr. Karelis loves his job, and is willing to go above and beyond to reach his goals. When asked what the best part of his job is, Mr. Karelis stated that “The most gratifying part of a principal’s position is when you can stand at the graduation ceremony and watch the kids go across that stage. It’s unbelievable.” With the efforts made by Karelis, it is clear that this is his main objective: to see as many students graduate as possible. He shared with me how much he wants to achieve this goal. Before he became principal, Aitkin High School’s graduation rate was 86%. Within two years of his hire, it raised to 94%. “We’d like to get it to 100%,” he said.
According to Mr. Miller, he has “had four principals during my time here and he [Mr. Karelis] is the kindest man that I’ve worked for. He’s a truly kindhearted person and he cares deeply about the school and this place.” So much of his hard work and dedication goes unnoticed among students, parents, and faculty daily. If we take a step back and look at the big picture, it is clear to see that a great deal of Aitkin High School’s successes are due to the principal. Mr. Karelis is the first to admit there are flaws in his leadership, but he is constantly working toward being the best principal he can be. While no leader is perfect, the effort, care, and pride that Mr. Karelis puts toward his job could not be clearer. These are the qualities that make a good principal, and I believe that Paul Karelis will continue to show these qualities and improve this school to the best of his abilities for years to come.
This profile was written in the fall as part of College Composition I. Mr. Karelis announced his retirement at the April 18, 2022 school board meeting.
Published April 19, 2022
As the clicking and clacking of his leather shoes echo throughout the hallway, the students’ eyes meet his gaze. He smiles and waves at them — they do not return the gesture. They stifle their giggles until he is around the corner and out of sight. What they don’t know is what he does after he rounds that corner. As Mr. Paul Karelis enters his office he sits down at his computer and opens his email inbox. This morning it is littered with hundreds of messages from parents and teachers alike. He sighs. Three teachers are out sick today, do we have enough substitutes? He calls his go-to subs — none of them are available. He sighs again. As he makes phone calls to various teachers, a sense of dread looms over him. Trying to find souls willing to sacrifice their prep hour is near impossible, everyone is busy. It is likely he will have to do the job himself. As he frantically dials the phone, he receives another email; four students tested positive for Coronavirus yesterday. He now has to add contact tracing to the top of his ever-expanding To-Do list. He tentatively peeks at the list and the endless rows of meetings and requirements for the day. It makes him nauseous. It is only 7:30 in the morning and the principal of Aitkin High School already knows he is up for, yet again, another sleepless night.
Most students in our school may not know it, but Mr. Karelis was once a student at Aitkin High School himself. He knows what it is like to go to class here, roam the halls, and participate in school sports and activities. Some think that this piece of his past adds a special quality to the way he works. One of these people is Mr. Karelis’s secretary, Tharcia Foss. In an interview with me, Tharcia stated that she has been impressed with Mr. Karelis since the day of her job interview. She started off the interview by saying, “I was so impressed with his qualities. He was very personal and very professional.” She continued to describe how she looked up to Karelis because he grew up in Aitkin and came back to be the principal after he finished college. She closed this thought with a beaming smile on her face as she said that even after they had just met, she immediately “could see the love behind his job.”
After graduating from Aitkin High School in 1980 with highest honors, Karelis continued to expand his education at the University of Minnesota. What many may not know is that Karelis didn’t always want to be a principal. It wasn’t his first choice, or even his second. In fact, when I interviewed Karelis he informed me that while attending classes at the U of M he switched his major five times. First, he wanted to major in Veterinary Science, then he changed it to Agricultural Education, then to Agricultural Business, then to Economics, and back to Agricultural Education. First, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree with this major in 1985. Later that year, he taught science classes to grades 9-12 in Markesan, Wisconsin and was the head coach of the school’s football team. In 1990 he began working in Adult Farm Management and as a secondary teacher at Worthington High School. As the years passed, he pursued more teaching opportunities until he went back to school to switch his major for the fifth and final time. He received his Master’s in Educational Leadership in 2006 and he currently holds a K-12 principal and superintendent license.
Aitkin High School social studies teacher Scott Miller explained that he was on the interviewing committee and was a part of the team that hired Mr. Karelis. When asked what his first impression of Mr. Karelis was, Miller stated that if he was being completely transparent, he wasn’t sure about Karelis. Miller admitted that he thought Karelis was more well suited for a larger district and even went as far as to say that he found him a bit “old school.” While some may interpret this as harsh criticism, Mr. Miller was quick to point out that he thinks of Karelis highly and respects the way he runs the school. He explained that from the standpoint of a teacher, he values Karelis’s management style: “He lets the teachers teach. I very much appreciate that about him,” He said. “We’re allowed to do what we do, and do it well.” Despite this, Karelis admitted that he is “not a very effective principal here right now because [he] is tied so tight with attendance and disciplinary issues.” While taking all of this into consideration, I still believe that Karelis is doing the best he can and I think that many would agree. As a matter of fact, during our discussion, Miller stated, “We all want more from leadership, but in reality, I don’t think there is anyone more capable of being a principal at a school of our size and budget.”
If observing Mr. Karelis has taught me anything, it’s that his job is not easy. Based on the fraction of his days that I’ve been allowed to examine, “not easy” is an understatement. Every morning when he gets to school he checks his email for teachers out of school and new Coronavirus cases in the building. He then shapes his day based on this information and plans from there. Tharcia explained, “With having so many people out, Mr. Karelis has had to sub. He has taken so many long hours late into the night just to finish his job because he’s actually helping out other teachers.” After finding out if he needs to contact trace or sub for class, Mr. Karelis stands in the hallways greeting students on their way to class. He declared to me that he tries to do this every morning if possible because no matter what is going on, he likes to see students’ faces before they start their day. You can typically find him between the intersection of the building’s North Entry and the cafeteria. As he stands there he welcomes each student with a bright smile and a cheerful greeting. One by one, the students file to class like animals following a herd. Once the vast corridor is completely void of activity, Karelis moves on to his next task. If he is not already subbing, he goes to his office and responds to emails, schedules meetings, attends meetings, meets with students and faculty that share concerns with him, and deals with punishments towards students in violation of school policies. This barely even scratches the surface of what Karelis does in a typical school day. Not to mention the fact that his routine looks completely different every time. Each day brings new challenges and factors that he may not have had to deal with the day before. In fact, in a short five-minute conversation with him, Mr. Karelis shared with me that he wakes up at 6 a.m. and goes to sleep between 3-4 a.m. every night. After observing him and hearing from his staff, I don’t doubt this whatsoever.
During our interview, Karelis shared with me that he has a lot planned for our school and how to make it better. “I want to build programs,” He said, eyes gleaming, “that give students the hands-on learning opportunities they need to become successful.” It is clear that while it may be stressful, Mr. Karelis loves his job, and is willing to go above and beyond to reach his goals. When asked what the best part of his job is, Mr. Karelis stated that “The most gratifying part of a principal’s position is when you can stand at the graduation ceremony and watch the kids go across that stage. It’s unbelievable.” With the efforts made by Karelis, it is clear that this is his main objective: to see as many students graduate as possible. He shared with me how much he wants to achieve this goal. Before he became principal, Aitkin High School’s graduation rate was 86%. Within two years of his hire, it raised to 94%. “We’d like to get it to 100%,” he said.
According to Mr. Miller, he has “had four principals during my time here and he [Mr. Karelis] is the kindest man that I’ve worked for. He’s a truly kindhearted person and he cares deeply about the school and this place.” So much of his hard work and dedication goes unnoticed among students, parents, and faculty daily. If we take a step back and look at the big picture, it is clear to see that a great deal of Aitkin High School’s successes are due to the principal. Mr. Karelis is the first to admit there are flaws in his leadership, but he is constantly working toward being the best principal he can be. While no leader is perfect, the effort, care, and pride that Mr. Karelis puts toward his job could not be clearer. These are the qualities that make a good principal, and I believe that Paul Karelis will continue to show these qualities and improve this school to the best of his abilities for years to come.
This profile was written in the fall as part of College Composition I. Mr. Karelis announced his retirement at the April 18, 2022 school board meeting.