MUSD announces 3 new staff appointments

The start of the school year on Aug. 8 brings the appointment of three new positions to Maricopa Unified School District.

Brian Winter will be joining Maricopa High School as the new athletic director, and Dr. Karen Waters and Janel Hildick and will be the new principals at Santa Rosa Elementary and Butterfield Elementary, respectively.

“We are thrilled to have three staff members of this caliber in our district and are looking forward to seeing the positive impact it will have in the 2011-12 school year, and beyond,” said MUSD Director of Human Resources Tom Beckett.

Winter is beginning his 24th year in education. He previously worked for 21 years as a boys basketball coach, spending the last three years as assistant principal/athletic director at Eagle Point High School in Eagle Point, Ore.

Winter will now lead the Rams. He holds a master’s of arts in education leadership from Minnesota State University and a bachelor’s of science in physical education from Winona State University.

Waters has been a leader in the educational field since the 1980s and will be taking the reins as Principal at Santa Rosa Elementary. Having worked as a special education teacher for many years, Waters made the transition from the classroom to school leadership in 2000 and will strive to ensure the academic success of all students at Santa Rosa.

She holds a bachelor’s in elementary, early childhood and special education from Temple University, a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction and special education and a doctorate in educational leadership with a cognate in special education from Penn State University.

With MUSD since 2008, Hildick will now be leading Butterfield Elementary as the new principal.

She has 22 years in education and six years of out of the classroom leadership experience. She holds a bachelor of arts in Spanish and elementary education, a master’s of arts in educational leadership from Arizona State University and is an MUSD board-approved and Arizona State Approved Sheltered English Immersion instructor.

Hildick said MUSD stands out for its growth, staff and potential.

“I’ve taught in several schools and districts throughout the country and we have some of the best teachers that I have seen,” Hildick said. “The way we educate our children has much more to do with how we teach rather than what we teach.”

For more information, visit www.maricopausd.org or call 520-568-5100.