Position might still be vacant when fall term begins
By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
With a new school year on the horizon, officials in the Whitewater Unified School District are in the process of putting the final pieces of the staffing puzzle together.
The School Board last week held a special meeting and approved four resignations and seven new hires.
One of the resignations was Daniel Foster, principal of Whitewater Middle School. Foster, who served in the position two years, is moving back to a familiar district: Waterford Union High School.
Over the years, Foster had served in a variety of administrative capacities at Waterford Union, including a role as dean of students and later as an assistant principal. Foster left Waterford in the 2011-12 school year for the principalship opportunity in Whitewater.
But a recent opportunity brought Foster back to Waterford Union. Eric Blake, who had been Waterford Union’s principal, made a decision to retire mid-summer, and Foster threw his hat in the ring for consideration and was ultimately hired.
Whitewater district officials have yet to announce a firm plan for Foster’s replacement at Whitewater Middle School. The opening has been posted, and applicants will soon be reviewed. But administrators have hinted the position might remain vacant, heading into the new school year.
The board also approved the resignation of Jessica Walsh, who taught kindergarten and grade 1 at Lincoln Inquiry Charter School. Susan Hinkley, a French teacher at Whitewater High School, is also leaving the district.
One support staff member has also resigned: Megan Oertel, who served as a special education paraprofessional at Whitewater Middle School.
Of the seven hires approved last week, five are teachers and two are members of the support staff.
The district has hired a new library media specialist, Sally Watson, who will serve schools across the district. According to district documents, Watson has 24 years of experience, and she edged out four other applicants.
Watson’s background includes roles in library science and technology at Big Foot Unified High School and the Sharon School District.
A panel of six people interviewed candidates for the position. In their summary, they said, “Sally was clearly the strongest candidate who will ensure our library media center programming continues to move in the right direction.”
Other new staff members include:
• Elizabeth Colver, a special education paraprofessional at Washington Elementary School. Colver recently completed her student teaching in the district and has been a longtime volleyball coach at Whitewater High School.
• Shannon Frye, a 4-year-old kindergarten teacher at Lincoln Inquiry Charter School. She has eight years of experience.
• Michael Hookstead, a special education paraprofessional at Whitewater Middle School. Hookstead is new to education, but has a background in coaching and is CPR certified.
• Ann Lamb, a 4-year-old kindergarten teacher at Washington Elementary School. She has six years of experience, including a role at the University of Wisconsin Children’s Center.
• Sandra Musiak, a teacher in grades 2 and 3 at Lincoln Inquiry Charter School. Musiak, who has previously worked in Whitewater as a long-term substitute, has 25 years of experience.
• Cori Wegner, a sixth-grade teacher at Whitewater Middle School. Wegner also has worked in the district as a long-term substitute and has a full year of experience.
