On February 24, Principal Swetter announced his resignation. Effective June 30, the sudden departure arose due to an irrefusable career opportunity presented to his wife, which will take the couple to Hawaii.
“Two weeks ago, I would have said I’d probably retire here, but an opportunity like this doesn’t come around very often. Hawaii can drive me away, but it was a very tough decision,” said Swetter.
While he has only been the active principal for one academic year, Swetter has worked at Cactus Shadows for almost nine years. Starting as a teacher, he became Dean of Students in 2013 and took over as Interim Principal last school year.
“When you’re here for nine years, a lot of the years kind of blend together, and I don’t want to send corny, but it’s really the friendships and relationships that were made here that I’ll remember best,” said Swetter.
Swetter hopes to continue his career in education while in Hawaii, but has some resignations on his ability to start over in a new state.
“I don’t really know all of the options open to me, so I’m opening the door to as many as possible. I’m getting my certification to be an administrator out there, but I also don’t know the school districts out there. It’s very difficult to jump into a situation as the leader if you don’t know what you’re leading. I’m taking my time for the right opportunity,” said Swetter.
The process of hiring a new principal will begin right away, however, some concerns have been raised regarding availability, as Arizona is experiencing a severe shortage of educators at the moment. This shortage has significantly affected Cactus Shadows, with a greater number of first year teachers at the school than ever seen before.
“I believe that this is a good change for the district. We are going to get a fresh perspective, and a new principal that wants to make a difference,” said Ben Cody, a sophomore.
One of the most difficult aspects of finding a new principal will be their diminished understanding of the school.
“Cactus Shadows is a really wonderful place, but you have to know that with the good comes some of the limitations. You have to understand that reducing class sizes is an issue, tackling vandalism in an issue, that we don’t have as many outside resources as a lot of other schools, but these things make Cactus Shadows unique. It gives us that small school feel,” said Swetter.
The sudden nature of Mr. Swetter’s departure left many students worried about finding a replacement.
“I feel like a lot of students have very little contact with administration besides school announcements, so it’s difficult to see how much he has actually done for the school, however, from what I’ve seen I think the campus has improved, which is rare. I think he’s a really good guy, so his successor is going to have some big shoes to fill,” said Max Rigler, a senior.
Swetter’s unexpected resignation will present many challenges going into the next year.
On February 24, Principal Swetter announced his resignation. Effective June 30, the sudden departure arose due to an irrefusable career opportunity presented to his wife, which will take the couple to Hawaii.
“Two weeks ago, I would have said I’d probably retire here, but an opportunity like this doesn’t come around very often. Hawaii can drive me away, but it was a very tough decision,” said Swetter.
While he has only been the active principal for one academic year, Swetter has worked at Cactus Shadows for almost nine years. Starting as a teacher, he became Dean of Students in 2013 and took over as Interim Principal last school year.
“When you’re here for nine years, a lot of the years kind of blend together, and I don’t want to send corny, but it’s really the friendships and relationships that were made here that I’ll remember best,” said Swetter.
Swetter hopes to continue his career in education while in Hawaii, but has some resignations on his ability to start over in a new state.
“I don’t really know all of the options open to me, so I’m opening the door to as many as possible. I’m getting my certification to be an administrator out there, but I also don’t know the school districts out there. It’s very difficult to jump into a situation as the leader if you don’t know what you’re leading. I’m taking my time for the right opportunity,” said Swetter.
The process of hiring a new principal will begin right away, however, some concerns have been raised regarding availability, as Arizona is experiencing a severe shortage of educators at the moment. This shortage has significantly affected Cactus Shadows, with a greater number of first year teachers at the school than ever seen before.
“I believe that this is a good change for the district. We are going to get a fresh perspective, and a new principal that wants to make a difference,” said Ben Cody, a sophomore.
One of the most difficult aspects of finding a new principal will be their diminished understanding of the school.
“Cactus Shadows is a really wonderful place, but you have to know that with the good comes some of the limitations. You have to understand that reducing class sizes is an issue, tackling vandalism in an issue, that we don’t have as many outside resources as a lot of other schools, but these things make Cactus Shadows unique. It gives us that small school feel,” said Swetter.
The sudden nature of Mr. Swetter’s departure left many students worried about finding a replacement.
“I feel like a lot of students have very little contact with administration besides school announcements, so it’s difficult to see how much he has actually done for the school, however, from what I’ve seen I think the campus has improved, which is rare. I think he’s a really good guy, so his successor is going to have some big shoes to fill,” said Max Rigler, a senior.
Swetter’s unexpected resignation will present many challenges going into the next year.