After three rounds of interviews, Edina High School staff selected William Britt as the new EHS assistant principal. While the first round of interviews had 15 candidates, they soon narrowed to six and then three in the following two rounds. Britt was interviewed by department area leads, counselor Natalie Golberg, social worker Ebony Gums, Edina Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Stacie Stanley, EHS Principal Paul Paetzel, and many others before securing the position.
“I’m really excited and thankful for the opportunity,” Britt said. “Edina is a place that a lot of people want to work at so to be selected for the assistant principal; I don’t take that lightly.” Before this position, Britt worked as assistant principal at Andover High School.
Britt attended DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis, majoring in criminal justice and playing football as an offensive lineman for North Dakota State University. According to Britt, his history as a college athlete made him better at receiving feedback and doing hard work, qualities crucial in a good assistant principal. “[A good assistant principal] knows that they don’t know everything, acknowledges people’s frustrations, and is able to receive feedback from people [they] serve,” he said. “A great assistant principal is visible and is celebrating and acknowledging success.”
As assistant principal, Britt will be overseeing specific departments, supervising school operations, and assisting Paetzel. He first wants to talk to students and staff to better understand EHS’s areas of growth. “I’m going to have interviews with students, teachers, and some parents. I would like to hear what their feelings are,” Britt said. “We can look at the data, figure out common themes, and try to address those problems.”
He also wants to represent and connect with underrepresented student populations. “I don’t know how many students I’ll come across that look like me and talk like me,” he said. “I want students to see someone they identify with.”
To Britt, part of connecting with or representing others means prioritizing fostering positive relationships and bringing out their strengths. “I’m just trying to acknowledge the human,” he said. “I’m trying to help the real person and see if they have any special gifts that we can highlight to make the spaces we’re in better.”
Above all, he wants to improve the school and himself through this job. “I think Edina could be the best high school in the state of Minnesota and I think I could be a part of that, in addition to the people already there,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to better myself and hone my craft as an assistant principal.”
This piece was originally published in Zephyrus’ print edition on May 8, 2025
