LYNN – English High School Principal Andrew Fila confirmed Thursday morning that he will officially retire Nov. 5 ? three weeks before his 69th birthday.Fila said he is leaving English in good health with the school in good order. He will take unused vacation days between today and his retirement date.?It’s a nice time to leave,” he said. “As someone said to me the other day, ‘You did it just like Frank Sinatra ? your way.'”The bantam weight, straight-talking educator predictably had some definitive thoughts about who should fill his chair in the office next to English’ main entranceway.?Tom Strangie has been covering for me when I’m out. He would be the logical successor if you want everything to run smoothly.”Strangie shares vice principal duties in English with Jennifer Mancaniello and Joseph O’Hagan.Fila succeeded the late Thomas Connelly as English?s principal in February 2000 after spending 19 years as principal at Eastern Junior High School (now Marshall Middle School). He started working in the Lynn schools in 1965 as a substitute teacher before starting full-time and becoming Eastern’s vice principal in 1972.During his English tenure, Fila saw the school expand following major renovations in 1999, from 1,160 to 1,700 students. Its guidance department underwent renovations and its comprehensive assessment test performance won the school applause from publications like US News & World Report and Business Week. Both ranked English among the nation’s best high schools.?The last decade has been great,” he said.Fila started the last regular work day of his career Thursday the way he has started most days at English:?I was in doing some writing at 4:30 a.m. and started working out at ten past five until 7 a.m.”