Michael Brinkos was educated in the McKeesport Area School District, from elementary through high school.

Now he is leading the entire district.

School directors unanimously appointed him superintendent June 24.

He began his job July 1, following the June 30 retirement of Shirley Golofski, a 38-year veteran with the district. Dr. Brinkos will be paid an annual salary of $130,000. His contract runs through 2014.

A 1983 graduate of McKeesport Area High School, Dr. Brinkos received master's and doctoral degrees in education from Duquesne University. He said he went into education because of his desire to work with children with special needs.

"I thought how nice it would be to work with kids with special needs, to ensure that they had an education and to ensure that they had the best quality of life possible," he said.

He began working in the district as a special needs teacher, eventually rose to supervise other teachers, then led the district's special education program. McKeesport Area provides special education to students, rather than contracting out the service, as many districts do.

McKeesport Area has a legacy of serving special needs students. Its program was started in the 1960s, before a federal law in the mid-1970s mandated that districts provide it.

Dr. Brinkos was at the forefront of a push to integrate more special needs students into the general populations of their schools. Recently, the state recognized the district for its inclusive practices.

As superintendent, Dr. Brinkos will face a number of challenges in the district. Older schools are in dire need of upgrades, but a master plan that includes two new elementary schools that will serve all of the district's primary students has been stalled.

Additionally, some schools have consistently failed to make Adequate Yearly Progress, as defined by the state.

Dr. Brinkos has ambitious plans for the schools he'll oversee. He said he believed that part of the schools' failure to make Adequate Yearly Progress has resulted from curriculum gaps. He'd like to revamp some curriculums, creating more uniformity across the district so that students are prepared for tests and for postsecondary education.

"I think there are probably situations that occur where there are gaps in curriculum or there are overlaps in curriculum," he said. "We have to make sure we're in line with state standards."

He said he'd also like to see more staff development to ensure the teachers are using best practices.

"By focusing on curriculum development and by focusing on staff development, I think we'll be able to move forward," he said.

Dr. Golofski said she was confident in Dr. Brinkos' ability to address the district's challenges and described his leadership style as "collaborative."

"By empowering all stakeholders, he will continue to improve the district's performance," she wrote in an e-mail.