When Shane Johnson talks about education, she uses words like “magic” and “curiosity.” For the new principal at Minnehaha Elementary, school isn’t just a building with classrooms; it’s a place where children and teachers grow together.
“School is magical,” Johnson said. “There’s something magical about a kid learning and developing and growing, and being a person that helps children grow and develop. It’s magical to help teachers grow and develop, too.”
Johnson comes to Two Harbors with 32 years of experience as a teacher, reading coach, and school administrator. Her journey includes everything from launching after-school programs to serving as assistant principal at a language immersion school. She’s ready to bring that experience to the North Shore.
“I want to share my experiences that I’ve had in a variety of settings,” Johnson said. “Helping children learn how to read is a big elephant, and it takes a lot to become really good at teaching reading. That’s a big passion of mine.”
Before stepping into administration, Johnson built a career rooted in community and enrichment programs. While living in Alabama, she served as a reading coach, a role that deepened her belief in the power of literacy.
After meeting her husband and moving north, she worked with the Grant Community School Collaborative, a nonprofit that offered after-school programming.
“We did academic enrichment and homework help,” she said. “We offered classes where community members came in and taught things like cooking or outdoor sports. We even had wonderful Ojibwe ladies come in and teach the girls how to make their dancing shawls and their dolls.”
By 2011, Johnson was helping transform schools from the inside out. At Laura MacArthur Elementary, she worked as a Continuous Improvement Specialist through a three-year grant from the Minnesota Department of Education.
“They were a focus school, recognized for low academic performance,” she said. “I had been a reading coach, so they were looking for someone who knew how to do intervention groups and set up interventions throughout the whole school. It was all about implementation science, teaching, gathering data, and tweaking systems. We were lucky that in the first year, we met our goals and were no longer a focus school.”
After the grant ended, Johnson returned to the classroom, co-teaching 4th grade for two years. Her final year as a teacher remains a career highlight.
“My last year in the classroom was my dream class,” she said. “We did a wax museum where the students dressed in character and wrote b i o g r a p h i e s . They were great writers and readers, and we got to do so much with that class. If you’re going to end your career on a class, that was the best class ever. They were phenomenal.”
From there, Johnson spent five years as the Dean of Students at Laura MacArthur Elementary, a role that challenged her to balance discipline with encouragement.
“That role involves a lot of discipline and dealing with parents, as well as positive behavior intervention supports,” she explained. “For example, if you’re having trouble at first-grade recess, what can you do positively to teach kids and reward them for changing their behavior?”
For the past two years, Johnson has served as Assistant Principal at Lowell Elementary School in Duluth, a language immersion school unlike anything she’d experienced before.
“Lowell is quite a phenomenon,” she said. “It has Ojibwe, Spanish, and English immersion programs. We have little kindergarteners taught in Ojibwe all day, preserving a language that has basically been stripped from them. Then there are the Spanish classes, with little kids speaking Spanish. It’s huge. Lowell is a big school with over 600 students, with 120 kindergarteners at lunch and recess alone.”
With decades of experience behind her, Johnson felt ready to take the next step but her move to Minnehaha isn’t just about the job, it’s about community and family. Johnson’s husband has strong ties to the area, having once been a resident and with grandparents who once lived in Two Harbors and relatives who went through the local school system.
“I have family here,” she said. “We’ve been up there many times, and I love all the little shops and places. I’m excited to get to know the community and learn how to best partner with everyone.”
Johnson believes that building relationships is at the heart of her work stating, “I’m very open and very honest. I always listen. I like to be a problem solver. I’m very passionate about helping our children be a bright spot in the future and helping them be the best that they can be. I’m very eager to learn and be a part of the community and be someone that they can count on and rely on as well.”
For Johnson, becoming principal in Two Harbors feels meant to be.
“This is something I’ve waited on for quite some time,” she said. “And I just believe when it’s right for you, it’s right for you. When the stars align, the stars align.”
Welcome to Two Harbors, Principal Shane Johnson! Wishing you great success in your new role!
