The only one of three Highline schools superintendent finalists to attract television coverage at her public forum, Dr. Susan Enfield said she is eager to work in the district.

Enfield, Seattle’s interim superintendent, told forum participants Friday night, Feb. 24 that while she wants to put roots down in the Northwest with her husband, she wants to go to a smaller district than Seattle. She noted that she and her husband have been living in separate cities.

Enfield said Highline is a district that has a strong base so doesn’t need a “turnaround.

“It just needs to go from good to great,” she declared.

The Highline district is “further down the pike” than many districts in preparing students for life beyond high school, she noted.

Enfield said Highline has great people who are eager to build excellent schools.

Asked if she would “stick around” if hired by Highline, Enfield answered she is looking to be a superintendent for at least 5 to 10 years.

“I want to be part of a community,” Enfield declared. “I want to Susan who lives here, not just the superintendent.”

Enfield said she would be the “chief cheerleader” in building the district’s image. She later amended that to say “ambassador” might be a better word.

Having a strong school system is key to a community’s economic development and neighborhood stability, she added.

She said that as a strong supporter of full-day kindergarten, cutting the program would be at the bottom of her list of things to be cut.

She also expressed strong support for music education, arts and athletics. She said school districts need to find ways to keep athletics available for students who are poor. Highline currently has a pay for play system for athletics supported by numerous scholarships.

Enfield said effective management is about building relationships with people. A superintendent needs to create a team of people with the same vision who will work tirelessly toward a goal, she said. A leader also needs staff members who will tell her unpleasant truths.

On programs for gifted students, Enfield emphasized that highly capable students are just as deserving of the district’s focus as struggling students.

She said that in Seattle gifted students are taught material one to two years ahead of their grade level rather than just given extra work.

Enfield also said she favors allowing students into accelerated classes without qualifying tests.

Students must also be told of the high expectations in the classes, she added.

Enfield is also a candidate for the superintendent position in Bellevue.

Bellevue is not as far along in the superintendent search as Highline, according to Bellevue spokeswoman Jackie Coe.

The Bellevue school board agreed to conduct an accelerated interview with Enfield with several conditions.

Those include updating evaluation criteria based on recent community input and spelling out an interview process involving the district’s stakeholders.

According to the district website, “if after that process the board feels they have a strong feeling, the board may extend an offer to a candidate.”

Bellevue spokeswoman Jackie Coe said the board will announce its superintendent search process on Monday, Feb. 27. Highline’s board members have said they will make a decision by March 1.

Like Highline, Bellevue is a majority minority district, Coe noted.

Students of color make up 50.7 percent of the total enrollment, she said. Students in the district use eighty different languages and 30 percent speak a first language other than English. Twenty percent of students qualify for free or reduced school meals.

Both Bellevue and Highline enroll about 18,000 students.
In Highline, students of color make up 73.2 percent of students. Approximately 34 percent of students are Hispanic.