DARLINGTON — Mike Flanagan recently accepted the position as the Darlington Elementary/Middle School Principal.

Flanagan is a local resident of Lafayette County, growing up on a dairy farm outside of Argyle, graduating from Argyle High School in 1991 and going to UW-Platteville for his undergraduate.

He began his teaching career in Monroe as the lead teacher for their charter high school for at-risk students before moving to Monroe Middle School to teach eighth grade English—a position he held for 17 years. In 2018, he moved to Black Hawk to teach high school English for three years. This past year he transitioned back to Monroe before taking on this new position.

“I had a few people in Darlington reach out to me about the position, and I decided to go for it. The leaders around whom I have worked have all impacted my development as a person and educator. The transition is timely, as I stepped down from coaching after the 2020-21 girls basketball season. I am excited for a new challenge in my instructional journey.”

Flanagan has always felt passionate about showing students the potential they have in themselves to grow.

“I cannot imagine doing a job that does not involve working with young people. Education is a profession that is so rewarding, and I wake up each day inspired by the potential for impact that educators have. I believe that relationships are key and have built my practice around building rapport with my students.”

Flanagan is looking forward to working with everyone at Darlington.

“Darlington has always stood out to me as a community with great pride in the academic and extracurricular pursuits of their youth. I am intrigued by the opportunity to work with the Board of Education, with Mr. Jackson and Mr. Moyer as a member of the administrative team, and with all of the other wonderful staff who have already made me feel welcome. I know that I am joining a special family of educators at Darlington with a collective vision of excellence.”

Flanagan resides in Woodford with wife Lisa. He has four grown children: Michelle, Melissa, Michael, Jr., and Lucas. They also have two grandchildren, Hattie and Ella.

Flanagan and his wife enjoy staying active, walking and running, and also spending plenty of time with family. He is a member of Apple Grove/Argyle Lutheran Church. For 15 years Flanagan was the varsity girls’ basketball coach at Black Hawk and still coaches some club basketball in the spring and summer.

“I aspire to be a servant leader who will focus on the needs of the students first. As I begin this journey, I will have so much to learn, but I vow to work hard to lift those around me through my efforts. Go, Redbirds!”