Principal
Education:
Bachelor of Science Secondary Education
Master of Arts in Educational Leadership
Licenses:
6-12 Teaching License with Mathematics endorsement
K-12 School Administrative Licensure
Bio:
Hello, My Name is Miguel “RJ” Baca and I am the proud Principal of Chaparral Middle School. I am beginning my second year in this position after being selected to lead the campus in June of 2023. I served as an Assistant Principal at Alamogordo High School from July 2020 until arriving in my current position here at CMS.
Prior to starting in school administration, I taught Secondary Mathematics for 12 years in grades ranging from 7th to 12th. During this time, I taught Mathematics at the Tularosa and Gadsden School districts where I also coached Football, Baseball, and Softball. Through my teaching journey, I was able to work on numerous committees and assumed teacher leadership roles. I earned a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education from New Mexico State University in 2008 and a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from Western New Mexico University in 2019. Currently, I serve on the Hispanic Education Advisory Council for the New Mexico Public Education Department and am a recent graduate of the ALAS 4 Corners Leadership Academy.
I was born and raised in Tularosa, NM, and am a 2002 graduate of Tularosa High School. My wife Vanessa and I are the proud parents of three beautiful daughters Arianna, Autumn, and Emma. We live locally and plan to be part of the community and APS for many years to come. Go Tiger Cubs!