S05E01 - Humanizing the Superintendent Series: Engaging in Healthy Debate | Dr. Susan Enfield

In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Susan Enfield, the former superintendent of the Washoe County School District in Nevada. She also spent 10 years as the superintendent of Highline Public Schools in Burien, Washington. Prior to joining Highline in 2012, she had held the positions of Chief Academic Officer and Interim Superintendent at Seattle Public Schools. 

Some Questions We Ask:

• Please tell us more about your roles as a superintendent, the districts you oversaw, and your current activities? (1:23)
• Describe how you have gone about building The Network of Distinguished Educators and its work and achievements? (1:56)
• What was your greatest source of fulfillment as a superintendent? (4:11)
• Can you tell us more about your upcoming book? (5:39)
• How did you handle different stressors throughout your career as a superintendent? (9:21)
• What are your observations with regards to the changes in the role of superintendents over the years? (11:50)
• How much do your experiences reflect those of other superintendents across the nation—and do you think you all have had similar experiences in relation to the stressors? (13:26)
• What is the key to bringing people to see your vision as a leader and cultivating communal support? (15:36)
• How have you been able to engage with educators, families, and communities through storytelling and communication? (17:56)
• How can parents and members of the community help our country's school districts more effectively? (20:04)
• Would it be beneficial if community people and parents could comprehend superintendents by placing themselves in their position? (23:09)
• How do you cultivate quality board members? (25:02)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• About Dr. Susan Enfield’s life as a superintendent (1:30)
• Her role in building The Network of Distinguished Educators (2:05)
• Dr. Enfield’s greatest sources of fulfillment as a superintendent (4:15)
• All about her upcoming book (5:56)
• How she handled stressors while in the role of a superintendent (9:28)
• Changes in the role of superintendents throughout the years (12:00)
• Ways in which her own experiences were similar to other superintendents (13:40)
• Key factors in uniting people behind her vision as a leader (15:51)
• Her engagement with educators, families, and communities (18:11)
• How of parents and members of the community can help school districts (20:18)
• Effectively understanding superintendents  (23:49)
• Cultivating quality board members (25:37)

Quotes:

“I think we are in a time where we have to find language and causes that bring all of us together around the right things and have conversations around that.”

“The work of serving children is a gift on any day, and you endure those hard days on the job for the sake of the work."

“Leadership is not about self-aggrandizement. Leadership is not about personal, individual accomplishments. Leadership is about service above self.”

Stay in touch with Dr. Susan Enfield:
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Stay in touch with Chad Bolser:
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About "The Secret to Transformational Leadership," which Sarah co-authored with Dr. Quintin Shepherd:
Transformational Leadership Secret website
Purchase the print or ebook

Transcript

Sarah Williamson: 0:05

Hello and welcome to build momentum for education, a Podcast where we explore thought leadership in education. I'm Sarah Williamson, the founder of swpr Group, an agency that supports public relations, communication strategies and thought leadership, support for school districts, education companies and nonprofit organizations,

Chad Bolser: 0:23

and I'm Chad Bolser, Chancellor at Ivy Tech Community College in Indiana, this season, we explore a particularly unique perspective in K 12 thought leadership, humanizing the role of the superintendent.

Sarah Williamson: 0:36

Throughout the many conversations we continue to have with superintendents, a clear theme has emerged about the need to bring more humanity into the role of the superintendency. In this special series, we interview current and former superintendents and researchers to pursue the core question, how can we better see superintendents as real people navigating complex challenges to provide the best possible education for K 12 students?

Chad Bolser: 0:58

We dig deeper into how this important work can help build community, invite collaboration and increase widespread engagement.

Sarah Williamson: 1:08

We can't wait to get started, so let's dive in. Okay, we are so fortunate today to have Dr Susan Enfield joining us for the show. Welcome Susan.

Susan Enfield: 1:20

Thank you. Sarah, Chad, lovely to be here.

Sarah Williamson: 1:23

Susan, will you tell us about your career as a superintendent and what the districts you've worked and what you're up to now?

Susan Enfield: 1:30

Sure. So like many of my colleagues, I started my career as a classroom teacher, high school, English, ELL and journalism, and then my superintendent career began many years later, first as the interim superintendent for Seattle Public Schools, followed by 10 years serving as the superintendent for Highline public schools just south of Seattle, and then just finished after about a year and a half in the Washoe County School District in Reno, Nevada.

Chad Bolser: 1:56

So Susan, will you tell us a little bit about what you're building with a network of distinguished educators. And what do you work that work achieves?

Susan Enfield: 2:05

Sure so Mort Sherman, who just retired from AASA, and James Lane, who is the CEO at PDK International, had this idea to bring together a network of really seasoned, experienced, successful school superintendents to build a new kind of network, and they asked me to launch it. And so we had our first meeting at the end of September. We'll meet again at the National Conference on education in New Orleans, but basically, we're starting with a small group of about 20 to 25 superintendents from all over the country. And I think what sets this network apart? Because I think, as you know, there are plenty of professional networks for superintendents to be a part of. What sets this one apart is a couple of things. First of all, these are all superintendents with quite a career track record, so lots of wisdom and experience to share. And we feel strongly that this network is, yes, about supporting these individuals as leaders, but it's also about strengthening the profession. I think it's incredibly important that the general public gets a better understanding of the critical role that superintendents play in the quality of our schools, and that to have strong, successful schools we need supported and sustained over time leaders. And so that's what this is about. And so one of the things that we are going to do is, in partnership with the Harvard Graduate School of Education, produce case studies about the leadership experiences that some of these leaders have had, and those case studies will be open source teaching materials that will be available to anyone to access, and we're figuring out how many of those we'll do a year. But it's been a small but mighty start. It's a real gift, and I will say we wanted to make sure that we comprise the group of leaders from a wide range of districts, so not just large urban or even large suburban, but small, rural, suburban and urban, because we know that so many of the 1000s of districts in this country are very small, and there's extraordinary work happening in those and I think we have a responsibility to highlight that.

Sarah Williamson: 4:11

I love that. Susan, tell us what has brought you the most joy throughout your career as a superintendent?

Susan Enfield: 4:16

I think that what's brought me the most joy is having been able to work with extraordinary teams of educators and leaders who all share my unwavering commitment to making sure that every child has access to the highest quality public education we can provide. And of course, you know, working with kids is always an inspiration. But I think that, you know, what has brought me always the most joy has been commencement every year, right? I mean, I remember a mother, this is years ago, coming up to me or sending me a note after one of our commencements. Because, you know, many superintendents go, you know, if you're in a larger district, you know, I was. Going to 17 ceremonies each year, and one of the mothers wrote me a note and said, I just have to tell you, I so appreciate how genuine you seem to be in Congratulating the graduates. She said, You must be exhausted. And I said, well, the day that I can't muster up genuine excitement and joy over watching students and their families celebrate that milestone is the day that I need to get out of education. So I think that we all work for that moment and then, frankly, too, to see what many of the students that I've had the pleasure of getting to know over the years have gone on and done with their lives after graduation. So yeah, comes down to people, young and old alike.

Chad Bolser: 5:39

That's awesome. Now we know that you have a book upcoming, so don't give too many secrets away, because we want to ruin the sales of that. But will you share the promise that you're sharing in your upcoming book and why this has been so important to you as an educator and a district leader?

Susan Enfield: 5:56

Well, so there's a book that's actually in production that will be out in March, and then there's another book that I think you're alluding to that I'm in the process the process of writing, and I'll talk about that. So the book that's coming out in March, I wrote with my good friend and colleague, Dr Christy Wilson, former superintendent in Bucha schools in Arizona. And the title is on fire, under fire or fired superintendents in the pandemic. And we interviewed about 40 current and former superintendents, and basically, we tell the story of the pandemic through the experiences of superintendents. Because I strongly believe, as does Christie, that aside from our frontline healthcare workers, nobody was really on the front lines any more than superintendents in sort of really caring for their not just districts, but their entire communities through that whole period. So that's the one that's in the books, but the one that I am in the process of drafting now is a book about the origin and the impact of our Highline promise. And so when I arrived in Highline in 2012 we had the opportunity to craft a new strategic plan with our staff, students, families, community, and I suggested that, rather than a mission or vision, we make a promise, because a promise implies action. And so the promise that we landed on over time was to know every student by name, strength and need, so they graduate prepared for the future they choose. And over time, that promise really became part of the DNA of our system, and really permeated everything from the food choices that our nutrition services staff would make. So we were a richly diverse school system, so it was not unusual to have pasole or Fauci on the menu and to our security officers who without any prompting from me, I think I got a little teary the first day I saw it, had every student known by name, strength and E put on every one of the district security vehicles. And then, of course, just the extraordinary work that our staff, para educators and principals in our buildings do to live that out. But districts around the country, and even in other countries, have adopted and adapted it, and I actually think it should be our nation's promise, because I think that it's the best definition of equity I've ever been able to come up with. And I don't think you could find a parent family member who would argue that they did not want their child to walk into a school every day and be known by name, a name pronounced correctly with respect and affection, by strength, because all of our children have assets that they bring and by need, what do they need from us? Academically, social, emotionally wise, to be successful, and that when they graduate, they are prepared for any path they choose for themselves. I think that's something everyone can get behind. And I think we are in a time where we have to find language and causes that bring all of us together around the right things and have conversations around that. And so we'll see where it goes.

Sarah Williamson: 8:49

Congratulations, Susan on both I'm so excited about that book, but also I love the title of your new book, coming out in March. It's a great title.

Susan Enfield: 8:56

Christy and I are pretty proud of that.

Sarah Williamson: 8:58

That is a really good title. I'm a little envious

Susan Enfield: 9:01

and very apt. If you very attendance we're going through, it's very,

Sarah Williamson: 9:05

yes, it's very apt. And in fact, I wanted to ask you about the RAND study in 2023 I'm guessing you may even cite this in the book that discovered that superintendents have one of the most stressful jobs in America, citing the intrusion of political issues or opinions into schools as a source of that stress. I'm sure you may agree with that perspective, but how have you been able to cope with the stress of your roles as superintendents throughout your career?

Susan Enfield: 9:28

Yeah, I mean, so you've heard this many times, but the superintendency is certainly not for the faint of heart. So all of us who choose to make that our life's work know that we're walking into what will some days be a real challenge, and certainly being the subject of personal and professional attacks and criticism is not new. But I think that sort of post pandemic, given the very polarized, partisan world that we all seem to be living in right now, those have really increased. Increased, I think, in number and in severity, for lack of a better word. And so there are a few things that I think are critical to help superintendents remain strong and stay in their roles. And the first one is to have a strong network of supports to know that you're not alone, to have people that you can call on those tough days to get maybe advice and guidance, but sometimes maybe just an understanding ear, because your partner or spouse can only hear it so many times before they've sort of hit their limit. So you've got to have other people that you can turn to who understand. And I think for me, and I've shared this before, when people would ask me if I liked my job, I used to, you know, really quickly say, Well, of course, I love my job. And then I realized, well, I'm sure that was totally honest. And so I said, I think I need to come up with a more nuanced answer to that question. And so what I began to say is, on most days, I love my job, but the job is the politics and sadly, often the toxicity and those professional and personal attacks that I mentioned and the job can really grind you down. But I make a clear distinction between the job and the work, and the work of serving children is a gift on any day, and you endure those hard days on the job for the sake of the work of serving children and families. And then finally, I think that we all as a society have a responsibility to better understand the role that our superintendents play and how important they are, and that they are thinking, feeling human beings first, and you know, not detached bureaucrats who give little thought to the difficult decisions that they're making and the impact that it has on those they serve. So that's what I would offer

Chad Bolser: 11:51

You kind of touched on this question, your last answer, but how is scrutiny of will a superintendent changed over the past few years?

Susan Enfield: 12:00

Well, I think, like everybody, social media has changed everyone's role, professionally and their worlds, personally, depending. So I think that with the onset of social media, that has made it easier for people to make their opinions known. And you know, as I said, people aren't shy to let their leaders know when they are unhappy with them. And you know, there is a level of scrutiny and accountability that is absolutely appropriate, that we need to hold our leaders accountable for doing the job that they are there to do, and I think that we can do that in a way that is still respectful and honest and kind, and I think increasingly we need to be mindful of the tone and the modeling that we are setting for our children when it comes to how you engage in debate and conversation with people that perhaps You don't agree with and that there's a way to do that that is respectful, appropriate and mature, and maybe if we can engage in some of those honest conversations, we can return to a time and a place where to disagree with you does not mean that I must dislike or disrespect you, that you know disagreement is healthy, it's inevitable, but how we engage in that disagreement makes all the difference.

Sarah Williamson: 13:26

Yeah, I totally agree. And I'm curious, how do you think your own experiences are reflective of others across the nation? I know you talk to superintendents all the time. You're doing case studies. Do you think you're all having a similar experience right now in terms of stress,

Susan Enfield: 13:40

I think so. Superintendents that I've spoken with, including some that we spoke with for the book, are citing the fact that the job is different from what it was five, 710, years ago, and that there is sort of a demuncation point around the pandemic that sort of signaled a shift in just how we engage and treat one another and all of that. So yes, I think stress levels are high, and I think that the amount of Superintendent turnover that we're seeing, which I believe is alarmingly high and should be of concern to anyone who cares about public education, as that turnover grows, it can have a chilling effect on aspiring or newly seated superintendents and potentially get in the way of them making the courageous, bold decisions that we need them to make in order for our children to get the education they need to deserve. And so that's what worries me as well. I worry about the well being of colleagues who are directly attacked unfairly and but I worry about that sort of indirect effect that is, like I said, having potentially a chilling effect on some who for fear of losing their jobs. May decide, I'm just going to, you know, lay low. I'm going to fly under the radar. And I would argue that now more than ever before, our nation's schools and our children need to see examples honest, bold, courageous leaders who have service at the heart of what they do, that leadership is not about self aggrandizement. Leadership is not about personal individual accomplishments. Leaders about service and service above self. And so I hope that we see a shift. I don't see it yet, but I remain hopeful.

Chad Bolser: 15:36

We all are COVID In that respect, in that wish. What do you think the key is to bringing people together to help see your vision as a leader and cultivating community support? What's the key in doing that?

Susan Enfield: 17:35

So as I mentioned, I was an English teacher and a journalism teacher, so words matter to me very much, and I choose my words very deliberately, and I think the language that we use can either push people out or bring them in. And so I'll go back to the promise to know every student by name strength and need so they graduate prepared for the future. They choose. That's a phrase that will likely pull people in to say, okay, yeah, I can get behind that. That's what I want for my kid. Now, what are you as a school district going to do to deliver on that promise? And how can I help? Right? That's an inclusive, productive conversation, whereas, I think unfortunately, in some situations, if you lead with the word equity, you've shut some people out, because people have very different definitions now of what equity means. And so we can talk about true equity using language that people can really galvanize around, right versus see as alienating or off putting. And you know, I think Sarah has heard me say this, I think sometimes we really bring the pain on ourselves in public education, and I have considered myself a proud equity warrior for well over a decade now. And I also think that the way in which we framed equity initially resulted in some families not seeing their children and how we talked about our work. So if you're talking about the work of your school district, and you're only focusing on children who may need more of fill in the blank, whatever that may be, and my child doesn't need that, what's my child getting? And so I think we have to return to a more inclusive way of talking about the work, because I believe every parent and family member deserves and has the right to see their child in the work of the district. So as leaders, it's incumbent upon us to engage in conversation and use language that brings people in and that they can rally behind.

Sarah Williamson: 19:40

Yeah. So on that note, I'm curious, when you think about the language you're using. How have you been able to use communications and storytelling to connect with educators, families and communities? Because that's such an important part of the work a superintendent does.

Susan Enfield: 19:55

Yeah, it absolutely is. Well, you know, I mentioned earlier that the sort of the advent of social media has posed some real challenges for many people, but for superintendents in particular, it has also brought many benefits, and so superintendents can be savvy users of social media in sharing their district story. And I remember once, I was talking to a colleague of mine who I don't know was somewhere in the Midwest, I think Wisconsin or Ohio, and I saw them at a conference, and they said, I feel like I know everything that's happening in Highline just by following your social media. And that's a good thing, right? Because we do need to get our stories out there. And I what I always tell superintendents, whether you're blessed to have an amazing communications team, as I had when I was in Highline, or you are the communications team in a smaller district, sharing the district's work through stories is critical. So putting a face to what is happening is so important. So you know, doing those profiles of students and families and staff and community members who are living out the work and embracing the priorities that you as a district and a community have identified, I think, is incredibly important. It's also fun, you know, and I think it helps people see themselves as part of that district, in that community, and part of that work. And I think that storytelling as a leader is now an absolute must have. You have to be able to tell your district story, because there are plenty of other people who will tell it for you through multiple outlets,

Sarah Williamson: 21:28

they will

Susan Enfield: 21:29

if you don't do it yourself and so, and I know that some folks don't really enjoy social media or whatever, but you know, do whatever your comfort level is, but you have to do something right. You don't have to be on every platform, and you don't have to be doing it every single. Way do it in a way that is manageable for you, but you just have to get your

Chad Bolser: 21:48

So we are all supporters of what you do in the stories out there. K 12 space, and we know how important it is. But how can we, we, as community members and parents, better support our nation's school districts?

Susan Enfield: 22:02

I think it's a great question. Chad So, and I think I've touched on it a little bit I said, and I think so first of all, I think that we need to really help our communities truly understand not just what our superintendents do, but who they are. And I know Sarah has heard me say this, that we have an absolute critical need right now to humanize the superintendency, because it is much easier to discard something that you don't see as a someone, whereas once, I think our community see our superintendents as people who care deeply about what they're doing, who make mistakes because they are human, but learn from them and fix them and move forward. I think that's incredibly important. There's we've got to build a greater understanding of who our superintendents are as people. We also need to help our communities understand how important school board elections are. I'm constantly amazed that I will talk to an individual who I consider very active and engaged in the community and aware of politics, and who doesn't know that the superintendent is hired and fired by the school board. I mean, I think we assume that level of knowledge, it's not there. And so we've got to help our community understand that to have stability in our districts, we need stability and leadership. And I would argue stability and leadership at the board and superintendent level, right, not just one or the other. So I think that those two things, I think would go a long way. And I also think, and this is hard, but people who want to do what is right and speak the truth need to be willing to stand up and do that publicly more often. And I understand that we live in a time where when you speak out, you potentially become a target of people's sometimes wildly irresponsible and inappropriate behavior. However, if those who want to do what is right and speak truth don't begin to do that in large numbers, we're not going to see anything change. I believe, in the way we as a society, as communities, engage with one another. And so I think that our, you know, families need to come together, and, you know, show up at a school board meeting and say, Look, we know it's not perfect, but we're behind what our board and superintendent and principals and teachers are doing, and be part of that conversation and be willing to stand up and speak out against what you believe is wrong and speak up for what you believe is right. And that does require courage, but I think that if we encourage people to do that in mass versus individually, it feels much more doable than if we ask people to do it alone. And so that's something that I would just love to see. Let's get more people into the public conversation around how we ensure that our public schools are as good as they can be.

Sarah Williamson: 24:53

Yeah, I love that, Susan, so one of the reasons we are running this podcast series is because you inspired us. We were talking we were interviewing different superintendents for Doug Roberts book in defense of the superintendency, and you continue to bring up how we need to bring the humanity into the role the superintendent. I continue to think, even as a parent and a community member, it would be so nice if I understood the challenges that that superintendent is facing of our district. I want to understand what he's up against. I want to see him as a human being. I want to see his vulnerabilities, because then I'll be more understanding. I'll be more compassionate. Do you think that's true, and how do you think we can help superintendents do that more effectively?

Susan Enfield: 25:33

I do. You know, I guarantee you it would make your superintendents day, and I'm sure you've probably done it already, but if you haven't to schedule a time to meet in their office or go for coffee and to just say, How can I help? I want to support you. What do I need to know to be an active supporter of you and the work of this district so that not just my children, but all of the children in this community get the education that they need and deserve. And so I always loved it when a community member would schedule time to meet with me and just to get to know me, which is really, really important, and it can be hard because everybody's busy, nobody has time, but I guarantee you that superintendents will always make the time to meet with families and members of their community and stuff, to hear what is on their mind. And so I think that would be the biggest thing. And yeah, I mean, just reach out and say, hey, you know, I'm not asking for anything. I actually just want to help. So I would love to sit down with you and figure out how I can do that. Thank you. That's great. And say thank you, yeah, yeah, thank you goes a long way

Sarah Williamson: 26:37

it does. It's not an easy job. No,

Chad Bolser: 26:39

I know that this will be a little bit off of our script, but I have to ask,

Susan Enfield: 26:42

we don't have a script Chad. We don't have a script.

Chad Bolser: 26:46

Sarah keeps a tight rein. So I wanted you to know that up front, I just, I always make sure and put those qualifiers. Hey, how do you cultivate quality boards people that come in to serve it's an interesting thing. Every superintendent that I interact with has this entity that's their boss, and yet it is like, it's like everything else, it's, you know, there are some really quality folks and some that have agendas, and you know, for your experts, see, how do you qualify cultivate really good members?

Susan Enfield: 27:21

Yeah, sure, well, and I think this is where the superintendent has a key role to play, but so do families and community members, you know. So I would say, first of all, you know, and I've been so fortunate to work with some truly extraordinary school board members over the course of my time in the superintendency, and some of whom ideologically, we didn't always align or agree, but you have to go in believing good intent, and you have to go in being ready and willing to genuinely build some bridges. And if you can do that, then those ideological differences don't become barriers to you moving the work forward together. And so I think building relationships with board members is critical. And remember, too many of them don't have a background in education, so it's also educating them, giving them really good onboarding, you know, letting them meet the senior team and learn about the inner workings of the district, so that they, you know, feel confident in their role as leaders now. And I think that the community has a responsibility to, as I said earlier, elect really good people who truly want to serve to the school board. The public also has a responsibility to hold those people accountable and to make sure that the board members that they elect do their jobs and to remind them when needed that their job is not that of the superintendent.

Chad Bolser: 28:47

Oh, good. That's great. That's really good. Susan, where

Sarah Williamson: 28:50

can our listeners reach out to you or connect with you to learn more? Sure.

Susan Enfield: 28:54

So my email is senfield, not Seinfeld. Sendfield, S, E, N, F, I, E, L, D, at me, M, E and I'm on LinkedIn and Twitter and Insta and all that good stuff as well. Some places, all the places I'm just not as active, because I'm not in a district right now, and, you know, I'm less I've never been as much about self promotion as district promotion. So people are like, we don't see you as much on social media. I'm like, do you really care that I went shopping today? You do? You know? So if I have a real story to tell now, I will say we did just adopt 10 week old kittens. So socks and Psy now have a regular presence on Instagram. So that's that is my contribution to making the world a warmer, gentler, more loving place. It's just images of socks and Psy getting out on a regular basis.

Sarah Williamson: 29:43

Okay, I'm gonna have to follow you on Instagram.

Susan Enfield: 29:46

Amazing. Enfield, S, U, P, T, E N, F, I, E, L, D,

Sarah Williamson: 29:52

all right. Well, thank you, Susan, this has been amazing. I look forward to seeing you soon. Appreciate it.

Susan Enfield: 29:56

Thanks for the honor and the opportunity. Chad, lovely to meet you and Sarah, I really hope to see you soon. Appreciate the work you do.

Sarah Williamson: 30:02

Thank you.

Chad Bolser: 30:04

Thanks for tuning into the Build Momentum for Education podcast. If you enjoyed listening today, we would love to hear your feedback, and we'd be grateful if you could leave us a review.

Sarah Williamson: 30:15

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