Highline-1, Seattle and Bellevue-Nil

Things are looking brighter in Highline after we stole Dr. Susan Enfield away from both the state’s largest district and the glittering Eastside.

I tend to be your usual reporter skeptic, but I’ve got to tell you, Enfield dazzled me as the last of the three school superintendent finalists up to bat at the public forums.

As one of the few civilians in the room for all three forum nights my eyes were glazed over with ”Educationese”-- standards-based grading, one-on-one computing, dual language learners, highly capable students, equitable access, etc.

Why do educators speak English as a second language?

Enfield knows her stuff but the remarkable thing was how simply she translated it into everyday English. It’s amazing how plain spoken she is considering her world-class education—degrees from Cal-Berkeley, Harvard and Stanford. Wow!

I got the impression that--dare I say it-- she would be a “nurturing” superintendent but one you would just hate to disappoint. And behind all that “chief cheerleader” façade, her expectations are high.

“Genuine” was the word I wrote in my reporter’s notebook.

On the other hand, my correspondents inundated me with links to Enfield’s alleged dastardly deeds in past districts and labeled her the phony. But I think an effective leader makes the tough decisions that lead to love or hate.

We’ll see. I’ve been fooled before.

The last Highline superintendent search I was dazzled by the finalist from Peoria who was knowledgeable, articulate and passionate.

However, a simple Google search revealed she was so divisive that school boards in her past two districts begged her to leave. She told one board she would gladly leave, right after they paid off her $900,000 condo.

That search, engineered by a national consulting firm, left a little stink but it turned out OK as John Welch was promoted to the top spot.

Having a finance guy was fortuitous during a period of heavy budget cutting.

This time I’ve heard nothing but good things about the superintendent search. Any of the three finalists would have been a great choice.

In a district where 32 percent of the students are Hispanic and 75 percent are students of color, Dr. Joshua Garcia, Federal Way assistant superintendent, would have served as an inspiring role model.

He was very articulate but his opinions were hard to pin down. And why did he answer so many questions with a question?

Perhaps he needs more seasoning.

For example when he answered a question very directly about teacher/librarians, he declared, “A title doesn’t make good leaders.” Bad answer.

Enfield’s good answer: I love librarian/teachers but in these terrible budget times everything is on the table.

Dr. David Engle knew his stuff and answered in a very professorial manner. But he was not prepared for a grueling all-day interview process that ended with 75 minutes of rapid-fire questions.

So Highline has picked off a minor celebrity who is looking forward to leading a smaller district and being reunited with her husband in a welcoming community.

But though Highline has a smaller bureaucracy, the student achievement and demographic challenges are harder than in Seattle.

There have been successes with what could be characterized as public “charter” high schools—Aviation, Big Picture, Global Connections and Health Sciences and Human Services, for example.

In fact, Enfield’s visit to HS 2 sold her on Highline.

“Some high school seniors there…shared with me their hopes, their dreams, what they wanted in their leader and what they wanted in their school system. And I went home and called my husband and I said, ‘I think this is it,’” Enfield declared.

In her first in-depth interview after her hiring, Enfield told the Seattle Times that she felt “aligned” with the Highline board. Although it is usually all sweetness and light at the board meetings, board member Susan Goding occasionally erupts with very public criticism of the district’s curriculum.

Goding said Enfield is “going to be a great fit” so maybe the next superintendent has already worked her magic.

In addition, the board’s newest member, Tyrone Curry comes from the district’s athletic programs where there is still resentment over the perceived overreaction after the Jayson Boehm scandal. Curry’s track co-coach at Evergreen was not rehired.

The community is ready to help boost Highline schools and the hiring of a star superintendent is a great step.

When the Great Recession finally eases, Burien and the other Highline cities are poised for a great comeback. But the community knows you can’t attract new families and more economic development without high-performing schools.