Many people look back on their time in high school in a positive light. A large part of the high school experience comes from the staff that students interact with daily. Teachers, counselors, and administrators all have an impact on the students of Revere High School (RHS), including the principal. RHS needed a new principal after Andy Peltz announced his departure. Following a recommendation from former superintendent Dr. Michael Tefs, a new principal was hired. Doug Faris has begun his first year as RHS principal following seven years as the assistant principal.

Faris said before the position opened up, he was pleased as the assistant principal.

“I was very comfortable in my role… if you had asked me in January, I probably would have said no,” Faris said.

Faris sat down with Dr. Tefs to talk about the principal position following the announcement of Dr. Peltz’s departure. Despite not showing interest initially, Tefs asked Faris if he wished to be the next principal.

“I had thought about it a little bit… I was going back and forth,” Faris said.

Faris said making the decision to become principal was a long one, during which he sought advice from his family and friends. Faris’s turning point which made him realize he wanted to become principal came during a talk with Dr. Tefs. Faris said his guidance led him to say yes to the job.

“He insisted that I have the skills, the ability, and the passion for kids to be a principal… it was like a good coach sitting down with you and saying ‘you got this’,” Faris said.

Following the nod from Faris, the board approved Dr. Tefs’ recommendation and Faris was hired as the principal for the 2024-25 school year. Along with his hire, RHS needed a new assistant principal. Tiffany George excelled throughout the interview process and was eventually hired as the new assistant principal at RHS. Working with Faris is allowing George to learn from him, who served in her position for years.

“He is a blast. He is great… when I did my first round interview I knew I wanted to work with him,” George said.

George said Faris shows her the culture of RHS.

“I love seeing the student involvement at Revere,” George said.

George said that she is excited to get involved and connect with the student body. One way she hopes to do so is being seen.

“My biggest way I try to connect is visibility,” George said.

George learns from Faris how to connect with RHS along with another new staff member, superintendent Dan White.

White met Faris at the board meeting at which they were both approved for their respective positions.

“He was very gracious… he is very professional,” White said.

White also said that he observed Faris and his positive relationship with the student body.

“He is passionate about our students, and all of our students being successful,” White said.

White said that Faris and the other administrators compare favorably to the people he has worked with previously.

“We have great administrators here… they’re all really passionate about our students, and they all want to see every student succeed,” White said.

Faris made a positive first impression on White and George, and continues to impact the students of Revere. Seven years of working as the assistant principal for RHS has prepared Faris for his new role, which he plans to use as a way to help better the community around him.