With the retirement of Middleton High School’s (MHS) principal, Peggy Shoemaker, someone needed to step up and take her place. This honor fell on to Robert “Bobbie” Reinhart, upcoming MHS principal and Middleton Cross Plains Area School District (MCPASD) employee since 2019.
MHS has already officially introduced Mr. Reinhart in a video posted to the school’s Youtube channel, but he wishes he could be a bit more personal with his initial greetings. To help remedy that and make his story come to life a bit more, Mr. Reinhart has outlined more of what he wants MHS to know about him, beginning with his origins in education.
Mr. Reinhart first began working with children in his high school years, coaching tee ball at the Boys and Girls Club in La Crosse, Wisconsin. He enjoyed the work enough to continue this in his college life, working at the Middleton location of the club. He said loved the bonds he made with students during that time, and that the experience set him on his current educational path.
He received an undergraduate degree in elementary education with minors in math and science from UW–Madison. Afterwards, he spent some time as a middle school staff member in the Verona Area School District. His focus began to shift more towards the administrative side of the education field when he was given the opportunity to lead the math department. Mr. Reinhart’s experiences inside the department, such as trying to introduce standards-based grading into the school, clicked with him. His enjoyment stemmed from how, in his words, “I was having an impact beyond my own classroom.” That impact encouraged him to pursue a master’s degree in administration through UW–Madison’s Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis program.
The movement into administration is what led Mr. Reinhart to Middleton High School, where he was hired as one of the Dean of Students in 2019. Prior to this job, his only interaction with high schoolers was his time at the Madison Boys and Girls Club, so working at MHS presented an entirely different challenge.
Mr. Reinhart did not think of becoming principal when he was hired as Dean of Students. He said that he “was somebody who just focused on that next step at that time.” Additionally, he believes his upcoming position had a degree of luck to it, with him being in a place in his life to take advantage of the open principal position.
Mr. Reinhart wishes to applaud Mrs. Shoemaker’s accomplishments, saying that she left him with “a really solid foundation from which to work.” He cites her mentoring and the school’s training throughout his career as his motivation to pursue the principal position.
Because of the foundation he was left with, Mr. Reinhart doesn’t feel the need to make big changes off the bat, and plans to take a more gradual approach to his influence on the school. His focus will lean more towards continuing to maintain the high education standards and helping every student feel like they belong in MHS. He hopes that students can find their place in the school.
“That’s just as important as the academic side of it,” Mr. Reinhart said. “Those two have to be combined if we’re really truly going to find success in students.”
The upcoming principal is also looking to expand some of MHS’ programs and opportunities. In particular, he believes there should be more focus on the Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) program, which gives aspiring students the ability to connect with businesses directly.
He is also looking into expanding the cell phone policy implemented during the 2024-2025 school year. He has heard positive feedback from staff in regard to engagement, and believes it was “a really positive addition.” His focus would be on regulating cell phone usage in hallways and bathrooms during class time. Mr. Reinhart explained that “a lot of times, we’re noticing students bringing their cell phones with them and that’s creating some issues out in the hallways with students avoiding being in class.”
Some teachers already have policies in place to prevent this, but Mr. Reinhart hopes to expand it more evenly throughout the school. Additionally, he adds that there are no plans to prevent phones from being used during passing time, lunch and other free periods.
Outside of administrative policies, Mr. Reinhart would like to emphasize that he would love to get to know the students of MHS and hear their concerns with the school. He also wants to encourage students to try new things and fully utilize the opportunities found at Middleton.
“We have a lot of […] really good opportunities for our students in terms of academics, clubs, activities [and] athletics,” Mr. Reinhart said. By participating in these opportunities, he hopes students will “create a really well-rounded experience for themselves as they go throughout their four years at the high school.”
Of course, Mr. Reinhart also hopes students recognize the social aspects of involvement too. In his words, “We [want to] create that sense of belonging for students so that when they enter any classroom or when they join a club or a sport, they feel like they have a spot where […] they can connect and can be seen and valued.”
With that, The Cardinal Chronicle would like to congratulate Robert Reinhart on his new role, and wish him the best in the coming years.
