Seattle Public Schools’ interim superintendent doesn’t want permanent job

(UPDATED 7:42 PM FRIDAY: Added comment from Marty McLaren, who now represents West Seattle on the School Board)
ORIGINAL 10:10 AM REPORT: Just received from Seattle Public Schools – Dr. Susan Enfield says she doesn’t want to be permanently appointed to the job she’s been doing temporarily:

In March, when I was appointed Interim Superintendent of Seattle Public Schools, the District was in crisis. I was tasked with assembling the very best team of professionals to help lead this District, create transparency, improve communication and restore trust between families, the community and Seattle Public Schools.

I am incredibly proud of the work our students, teachers, principals and staff have accomplished over the past 10 months. Seattle is fortunate to have such a team of dedicated educational professionals. The progress we have made is significant:

Seattle Public Schools students outperformed the state average in every tested subject in grades 3-8
Our four-year graduation rate is up from 67 percent to 73 percent in the last year
Our overall school performance is increasing, with 27 schools increasing their overall performance level during 2010-2011
Enrollment is on the rise
Our city passed yet another Families and Education levy that will provide essential supports to our students

While I am proud of what we have accomplished together, today I am announcing my decision to neither seek nor accept the permanent position of superintendent after my contract ends in June. This was not an easy decision for me to make given my commitment to Seattle and to our students.

I wish the school board well in their search for a new superintendent, and will work with the new appointee to ensure a smooth transition for our staff, students and families. It is my sincere hope that the board will continue to build on our successes to date and continue the momentum we have built. I believe strongly that losing this momentum would be a disservice to our students and staff.

Our work here is far from over. Continuing to improve outcomes for all students and attack our achievement gaps will require great principals, great teachers, connected families and community partners and a central office serving schools by supporting high quality teaching and learning in every classroom. Please know that I remain dedicated to Seattle Public Schools and will continue to partner with, and serve you all to the best of my ability in the months ahead.

While we may hold different opinions on how to best serve our students, we must remember they are counting on us to fulfill our mission of ensuring that they are prepared for college, career and life. It is essential that we discipline ourselves to keep this mission—and our students—at the forefront of all we do, and not allow adult issues, egos and politics to stand in the way.

I want to thank you for your support. I will be forever grateful for having had the opportunity to serve the students and community of Seattle.

Sincerely,

Susan Enfield, Ed. D.
Interim Superintendent
Seattle Public Schools

ADDED FRIDAY NIGHT: Comment from West Seattle’s new school-board representative, Marty McLaren:

I’m sorry that Dr. Enfield won’t be a candidate for Superintendent. She has performed exemplary service for the district as Interim Superintendent. I’ve recently received a thorough introduction to the details of the Seattle School District’s organization and management, and have been continually impressed by the outstanding work that Susan Enfield has done — she’s worked hard to stabilize and strengthen the district and ensure that every student is known, cared for, and challenged. She has placed many highly capable and committed professionals in leadership positions, and they have focused an extraordinary amount of energy and know-how towards helping the district recover from serious problems and move forward in positive ways.

In giving six months’ notice, Dr. Enfield is allowing us time to conduct a search and ensure a smooth transition. Until then, we will benefit from her continuing commitment to our students and community. I look forward to working with the Board to select a Superintendent who will support the strong foundation which has been created and who will share my commitment to developing a world class education for all of our Seattle students.

(WSB photo of Dr. Enfield, taken at Denny International Middle School on its dedication day in September)

makepono December 16, 2011 (10:50 am)

Smart move. Would have been a career ender if she were to accept the job (if offered).

Spana December 16, 2011 (11:05 am)

Does that mean she is leaving the district or does she get to go back to CAO?

WTF December 16, 2011 (12:48 pm)

Too bad. Seattle FINALLY gets a good one after Dr. Stanford. But, can’t say I blame her.

Need a change December 16, 2011 (1:51 pm)

I’m very glad. She has shown that what she says in public, is not what she says in private. She was beholden to the downtown crowd, not to our students.

KBear December 16, 2011 (3:36 pm)

“Career ender”? Who cares? If you get fired from the job, your severance pay will be more than enough to retire on.

Dean December 16, 2011 (4:25 pm)

Chicken!

Chuck D December 16, 2011 (5:41 pm)

This is quite telling. Perhaps she saw how corrupt the culture was and decided it wasn’t worth it.

The next superintendent should be hired on their qualifications, not the safe and politically correct choice.

other KBear December 16, 2011 (7:21 pm)

I don’t blame her for not wanting to take on (then likely later take the blame for) millions of dollars of district debt.
She was very supportive of all that our school’s staff was going through last year. I appreciated her honesty and support!

WSB December 16, 2011 (7:50 pm)

For anybody checking back on this story – we’ve just added Marty McLaren’s comments about Dr. Enfield’s decision. She says she’s disappointed. – TR

metrognome December 16, 2011 (9:38 pm)

I don’t think anyone in their right mind would want this job. While the district itself and previous leaders have contributed greatly to the current tale of woe, I think the many of the parents who are so demanding need to shoulder some of the blame as well. It seems we expect the world to conform to our demands for our children’s needs and our cultural desire that children never ‘suffer’ rather than teaching our children to adapt to a world that can be harsh and unfriendly at times. Woe be to anyone who supports something we feel will make our children unhappy!

Note that I am not referring to all parents and I think parents’ participation in their kids schools and the district’s decision is crucial; I am referring to the toxic parents we see in all videos of School Board meetings, etc., as well as to some of the posts I have seen in other threads out here.