District #7 Announces New Administrative Roles, Other Hirings
EDWARDSVILLE – In preparation for the 2023-24 school year, Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7 has announced the hiring of five new administrators. The hirings were approved May 1, 2023, by the District #7 Board of Education.
“Due to attrition and reorganization, we have been able to hire several new individuals to leadership roles within District #7,” said Superintendent Dr. Patrick Shelton. “Our students’ achievement in all aspects of school is only limited by the level of direction they receive from leaders within the district. We are excited about the expertise they bring to our students and teachers and the expansion of several programs within the district.”
Those hires include:
Mrs. Hilary Duncan, as Assistant Principal at Lincoln Middle School. Mrs. Duncan is in her 19th year at Lincoln where she has taught health, PE, study skills, social studies, and science. She has earned educational leadership and educational administration degrees from SIU Edwardsville.
Mrs. Kristy Mitchell, as MTSS Coordinator for District #7. Mrs. Mitchell has been with the district since 2019 and currently serves as a prevention counselor at the district level. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of West Florida and a master’s degree in professional school counseling from Tennessee State University. Mrs. Mitchell has more than 16 years of experience in school counseling, multi-tiered systems of support, and providing positive behavior supports for students.
Mrs. Jessica Tatum, as Early Childhood Coordinator for District #7. Mrs. Tatum is in her third year with District #7 and currently serves as the Administrative Intern at Goshen Elementary School. She also spent two years in the district as a Blended Preschool Teacher. She has a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction, both from SIUE and is expected to receive her master’s in educational administration later this month, also from SIUE.
Mrs. Ali Hiller, as Elementary Administrative Intern at Hamel and Midway Elementary Schools. Mrs. Hiller currently teaches second grade at Goshen Elementary, where she is in her 11th year, and serves as an Instructional Coach for K-2 schools in District #7. She possesses a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from SIUE and is expected to receive her master’s degree in educational administration this summer, also from SIUE.
Mrs. Alex Metzger, as Architect for District #7. Mrs. Metzger recently served as an architect for Cordogan Clark and will be developing and supervising the projects related to the 2023 Bond Proposal which was approved by District #7 voters on April 4, 2023. She has worked as an architect in the St. Louis area for 10 years after graduating from Kansas State University.
Duncan, Mitchell, Tatum, and Hiler will remain in their current positions for the remainder of the school year, with their new roles taking effect for the 2023-2024 school year.
The Board of Education also approved the hiring of 34 new certified educators as replacements for staff who have submitted a notice of retirement or resignation.
Also, the Board approved Mr. Kelsey Pickering as the Head Football Coach for the 2023-2024 school year. Coach Pickering has served as a PE teacher at Edwardsville High School and as the Defensive Coordinator for Tiger Football under Coach Matt Martin.
