During Wednesday's Special Board of Education meeting, the Board approved three administrative appointments.
Mr. Jamal Maatuka was appointed as the Assistant Principal and Summer School Principal at Stratton Academy. Mr. Maatuka began his career in education in August 2010 when he joined Unit 4 Schools as a Business Teacher at Central High, a position he held for 13 years. In July 2023, he began his first role as a school administrator when he joined Centennial High School as the Dean of Students. He will leave this position to join Stratton Academy.
Prior to his career in education, Mr. Maatuka was a successful entrepreneur in the Champaign community from 1996-2010. This time includes experience as an Owner/Publisher at Black Thought Publications, Owner/Operator at Village Day Care, and Broker/Real Estate Agent at Home Team Realty. He also has other managerial experience as Manager of WBCP-AM from 1995-1996.
Mr. Maatuka holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance (1993) and a Master of Business Administration, with a concentration in Marketing (1995), both from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. In May 2010, he obtained his teaching licensure with certification in Secondary Education from Eastern Illinois University. Mr. Maatuka also earned a Graduate Certificate in Principal Licensure (2013) from Concordia University in Chicago, IL. The effective date of this appointment is July 4, 2024.
Mr. Sean Smith was appointed as the Associate Principal and Summer School Principal at Edison Middle School. He began his career in education in January 2017 when he joined Unit 4 Schools as a Special Education Paraprofessional at Jefferson Middle School. In November 2019, he was hired as an ED Resource Teacher at Edison Middle. After four years in that role, Mr. Smith accepted his first school administrator role as Middle School Athletic Director/Dean of Students at Edison in the 2023-2024 school year.
Mr. Smith holds a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville (2014) and a Master of Education in Special Education from Grand Canyon University (2019). He also earned his Master of Education in Educational Policy and Organizational Leadership from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (2024). The effective date of this appointment is July 4, 2024.
Ms. Taylor Foltz was appointed as the Middle School Athletic Director/Dean of Students at Jefferson Middle School. Ms. Foltz began her career in education in August 2009 when she joined Freeport District 145 in Freeport, IL and served there for eight years as Special Education Teacher, Kindergarten Teacher, and 3rd Grade Teacher. In August 2017, she joined Unit 4 and has served our District since then. During this time, she has worked as a Kindergarten Teacher, 1st Grade Teacher, 2nd Grade Teacher, and Instructional Coach at Booker T. Washington
STEM Academy and Garden Hills Academy. Ms. Foltz will begin her first school administrator role as Middle School Athletic Director/Dean of Students at Jefferson beginning with the 2024-2025 school year.
Ms. Foltz’s related experience includes coaching volleyball at the high school and college levels, as well as organizing and instructing basketball and volleyball camps for all ages.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology (2006) and a Bachelor of Arts in Education (2008), both from the University of Dubuque in Iowa. She anticipates completion of her Master of Arts in Educational Administration in August 2024 from Concordia University in Nebraska. The effective date of this appointment is July 4, 2024.
Congratulations Mr. Maatuka, Mr. Smith and Ms. Foltz!