Walk in through Middleton High School (MHS)’s South Entrance on a bustling Friday morning, and you might be offered a warm smile along with a colorful box of candy. Stop by any Advisory classroom, and the same smile might be on the daily morning announcements. Ask any student who the smile belongs to, and they would point you to our principal, Peggy Shoemaker—or more colloquially, “Peggy” and sometimes even “P-Shoe.”
Shoemaker has served as MHS’ principal since 2020, after being named interim principal in 2019, with the fast-approaching summer break marking her sixth and final year here. While MHS’ seniors prepare to don their crimson gowns and walk the graduation stage, Shoemaker is preparing to say goodbye to her role as principal. This ending, like any, is bittersweet; Shoemaker reflects on her time here and recalls both triumphs and lingering regrets, but ultimately an anticipation for what the future holds in store.
The Path to Principal
Shoemaker began her career far from education and much closer to finance. While attending business school, Shoemaker began working part-time in a bank, investing small sums of money for elderly clients. Despite nearly having completed her degree, Shoemaker couldn’t help but feel that something was missing.
“I just wasn’t satisfied. I almost got my business degree, and then at the very last minute, I changed to education. Because I’m all about relationships—having relationships with my staff, relationships with my students,” Shoemaker said.
It was after going back to school for education that Shoemaker began to observe the role of principal across different schools. Most notably, she encountered several “bad” principals, which became a motivating force behind Shoemaker’s own aspirations to lead through school administration.
Shoemaker’s first role as principal was in the Hudson School district, which borders Minneapolis in northwest Wisconsin, where her first six years serving in administration equipped her with the necessary skills to take up a more ambitious role. Her decision to take up a job opening at MHS was influenced in part by a willingness to explore new opportunities as well as by the passing of her daughter in a car accident.
“My son lives in Chicago, and my daughter had just passed away in a car accident, Shoemaker said. “She was a Madison student, and so I kind of needed a change. You know, leaving a community that I loved but where there were so many memories there of my daughter. So I came here.”
Memories at Middleton
Shoemaker’s term as principal coincided with several major changes, both within the building and outside of it.
“We’ve gone through a lot just as a staff, you know, with the pandemic, the new building and all of the things that came with it; temporary places for kids to learn, temporary hallways…trying to come back from COVID. Two years ago, we had the death of a student, and the year prior to that, we had the death of two students. That’s really, really rocked our community,” Shoemaker said.
Despite these challenges, Shoemaker remains grateful for the resilience of both staff and students, as well as their willingness to adapt and change routines as needed, especially as circumstances such as building renovations and the pandemic required students to learn unconventionally.
“We all made it through. And so, I’m really proud of the teachers here– super proud of them. Our student body too,” Shoemaker said.
Shoemaker specifically points to the diverse array of student organizations at MHS; in particular, she highlights Student Senate, a student-run body representative of different grades along with different affinity groups. Throughout the year, Student Senate acted as a link between the MHS students and administration, conducting surveys and reporting student opinions to Shoemaker. Some of the initiatives they have spearheaded along with Shoemaker include the “Respect Roundtable” forum held to allow students representatives to voice their concerns, as well as changes in school rules such as reopening the vending machines or increasing restrictions on lot parking. Shoemaker affectionately calls Student Senate her “thought partners.”
“Student Senate has been really, really valuable for me to be able to stay connected to the world of students,” Shoemaker said.
This effort to stay connected to MHS students is at the core of Shoemaker’s time here at Middleton. Although Student Senate existed before her term as principal, Shoemaker took up the role of advisor for the organization in order to more directly interact with students. Beyond supervising Student Senate, Shoemaker also made the decision to take on an advisory class, a choice that has helped her better understand the school’s culture.
“This year I’m an advisor [in conjunction] with Mr. J. Last year we graduated our seniors, which was so exciting. This year we have freshmen, and so being an advisor to students is like I get to be a part of the student world and the student experience. So those experiences have been a really, really beautiful part of my memories here, just again, because of the relationships. And you get to witness, you know, a student when they get their driver’s license, or when they go to prom, or then when they graduate. Everything has just been, you know, so delightful,” Shoemaker said.
Other fond memories Shoemaker recalls similarly revolve around participating in student traditions, especially those of student organizations. She joined Black Student Union (BSU) and Latino Student Union (LSU) last year on a tour into the deep South exploring historically black colleges. Beyond enjoying the company of enthusiastic students, the trip allowed Shoemaker to explore what it meant to be an educator in a diverse community.
“I think one of the things that I’ve really learned as a human, as a person, is this whole idea about culturally relevant curriculum, about how our society still is incredibly racist, how racism is alive and well within the education system. It has been personally enlightening for me, and that is something I would like to keep working on; like my own understanding and awareness of my privilege,” Shoemaker said.
Framing the Future
While Shoemaker will depart MHS with a plethora of fond memories, she will also hold onto goals for the school’s future that are not yet fulfilled.
One major concern Shoemaker continues to observe in the MHS community is an intense culture of academic excellence that can border on “toxic” for students under immense pressure.
“It’s easy to get sucked into the college application [culture] of ‘I need to do all the testing, and I have to get A’s in everything.’ It’s heartbreaking to see the impact that it has on students’ mental health. Kids are under so much stress, I just feel bad for them sometimes. And you kind of have to wonder, you know, at the end of the day in five years, will our seniors look back and go: ‘it was worth all of that stress,’ or will they say, ‘should I have taken so many AP classes?’” Shoemaker said.
Although the restrictive cell phone policy implemented during this school year seems to have helped students stay grounded in classes and connect more with peers, Shoemaker continues to feel worried about the constant push for students to excel, both academically and in extracurriculars. On the other hand, Shoemaker is proud of the progress MHS has made as a school in fostering a more friendly environment, especially by following the cell phone policy.
“To see that come into fruition, to have teachers talk about what it’s meant for them–like, I’ve had teachers say ‘I was so burned out. And this year, it’s been amazing.’ And I’ve had kids talk to me about it too, like: ‘I don’t mind it [the cell phone policy]’, it’s a way to make sure I’m not distracted by it [my phone], that kind of thing,” Shoemaker said.
As Shoemaker prepares to hand over the administration to one of the current associate principals, Bobbie Reinhart, she envisions a future where cell phone use could possibly be banned entirely in MHS. “I would love cell phones to completely go away. But I don’t think there was a readiness for that,” Shoemaker said. Perhaps, in the future, as students become more comfortable with the current cell phone policies, stricter rules can be put in place to further limit cell phone use.
Part of Shoemaker’s aversion to cell phone usage in MHS stems from the many school-related social media pages run by students. Specifically, Shoemaker speaks of the Instagram account “Almost Friday” as being “destructive and harmful” to the school culture. One of her hopes for the future is that more student leaders will take action on these platforms as well.
“When people post something inappropriate, it feels like maybe [although] kids don’t comment on it, they don’t stand up. For people that have been othered, like our disabled students or sometimes students of color, the people who have the privilege need to stand up, and that’s something that I just really would love to see cultivated,” Shoemaker said.
Most importantly, Shoemaker advises the upcoming administration to take the time to let students speak and to make sure their opinions hold weight: “Listen to kids. Find ways to really listen to what kids are saying. Kids have all the answers. They absolutely do,” Shoemaker said, confidently.
Gratitude & Goodbyes
Although departing MHS with the class of 2025’s graduating seniors will be bittersweet for Shoemaker, she does not plan on leaving behind entirely. Though her plans for the future are not yet fully clear, Shoemaker does know that she will continue to involve herself in education. Some possibilities she is considering include coaching new principals or working part time in different schools.
“I am not sure [what] I want to do,” Shoemaker said. “But it’ll be something in education because I feel like that’s just in my bones”
She mentions the Japanese concept of ‘ikigai,’ which is a passion or purpose that gives value to a person’s life. Ikigai lies at the center of your aptitude, interest, financial needs, and impact on others. While Shoemaker is still searching for her ‘ikigai,’ it seems like her career in education ticks many of those boxes.
Finally, Shoemaker offers her gratitude to all the students and staff who have supported her through her journey at MHS.
“I would like to thank the student senators. I have kids that run through my mind that have really made a difference. People that can think outside their own kind of experience, and really try to create something for the greater good. I see teachers every day, and staff members, from the custodian to our cooks– I just see them every day, really trying to help students. So much gratitude for them…” Shoemaker said. “Oh, I’m gonna miss you.”
