Marc Maiuri is New PE Teacher

WAITSBURG – Waitsburg school district physical education teacher Marc Maiuri says he is enjoying his return to full-time teaching and appreciates the community support he has received so far.

Maiuri was hired on short notice in September when long-time Waitsburg physical education teacher and coach, Jeff Bartlow, accepted a counseling position at Pioneer Middle School in Walla Walla.

Maiuri brings with him a lifetime of coaching and physical education experience. He was raised in the Touchet Valley and is a DeSales graduate. He earned his two-year degree at Walla Walla Community College, where he also played on the football team.

He earned his bachelor's degree in physical education and his teaching certificate, with endorsements in social studies, health and history, at Central Washington University. While there, he played on the offensive line for the Wildcats football team.

Following his graduation from Central, Maiuri taught part-time here in the valley before taking a full-time position teaching physical education at Gar-Pal high school. He then coached college football for the University of Montana Western in Dillon, Mont. for two years. While there, he took the opportunity to earn his master's degree in sports marketing and management from UMW.

Maiuri then taught high school physical education and coached football at Auburn/Riverside, a 4A school, until he and his wife decided to move back to the Touchet Valley to raise their family in 2003.

Today, the 46-year-old lives with his wife in the Walla Walla area. The couple has two daughters, ages 20 and 18, and a son in eighth grade.

"We are both from this area and wanted to raise our kids with a small-town lifestyle. We bought some small acreage – a hobby farm – and live the rural lifestyle," Maiuri said.

Maiuri said his kids are very active in the community and in sports and participate in rodeo, 4-H, barrel racing, fair court, FFA, and more.

He currently coaches football at Assumption Middle School where his son attends, and is the high school track coach at DeSales, where his daughter is a senior. Maiuri has also coached community soccer, baseball, and football.

Maiuri had been self-employed as a realtor when he learned of the opening in Waitsburg.

"People called and told me about the Waitsburg position. I've always enjoyed the community. They do a nice job of supporting the district and the kids. It was an opportunity that came at the last second and I decided to jump in and go for it. It's been a great opportunity to get back into teaching full-time," he said.

Maiuri said he focuses not only on teaching physical education, but also character and work ethic.

"I really enjoy the athletic development part of education. My biggest focus in my prior experience has been training in speed and endurance. I'm really trying to teach the whole lifestyle of diet, nutrition, sleep – total well-being," he said.

"I approach students the way I approach my own kids. I like being able to really develop the total person. Teach them to treat others with respect and to focus on everything as if it's the most important thing to them. They need to be examples to the people they see outside of the classroom and off the athletic field. I tell them that character is what you do when no one is looking," he added.

Maiuri said the experience of playing football for excellent programs at DeSales, WWCC and Central are a part of who he is and what he brings to the table.

"I got to be part of some great teams. High expectations on and off the field are part of my makeup. I was raised to be rural and hardworking," he said.

In Waitsburg, Maiuri teaches third/fourth and fifth/sixth grade PE on alternating days, and seventh, eight, and tenth grade PE daily. He said he is enjoying the experience so far.

"The faculty and kids have been very welcoming. The Bartlows are tremendous people. I've known Jeff for 20 years professionally, and he met with me before school started to help me get on track. We have a lot in common as family men. It's a big transition when you're taking the place of someone who has been here for 20 years," he said.

Maiuri said that everyone approaches teaching differently, but that he and Bartlow share common principles.

"We're both lifelong coaches with very similar expectations and thoughts on how things are done. I've really taken a look at what he's done the last 20 years and tried to tailor in and blend to add in my own personal touch," Maiuri said.