Washoe County School District Superintendent Susan Enfield recently sat down with KUNR’s Jose Davila IV to discuss her first year in the role. She was hired in May 2022 after directing a smaller suburban Seattle district. Her first day of work was July 6 of last year.
Jose Davila IV: What do you think some of your successes are over the past year?
Susan Enfield: Yeah, so I think that I would name a few things. I think one of the challenges that I identified early on, and it wasn't like, because I'm so clever, I think it was a challenge apparent to many people was our recruitment, retention and compensation of staff. When I arrived, there was a 90-day waiting period for health care. And at the same time, we were struggling to find teachers, bus drivers, counselors, and I just knew there had to be a connection there. And I knew that, post-COVID, we know how important health care is. And also, I think, it sends a signal to your staff about how much you value them, right, that we're not providing the most basic thing, which is health care. And I didn't think it was right that a first-year teacher should have to decide at midnight whether they can take their three-year-old to the ER because they have a fever, because they're only two months into the job and don't have health care. So, we made that change and as of July 1 this year, we provide health care day one.
We also were very active during the legislative session. And our trustees were very, very clear. And I was standing right alongside them, that compensation of our staff was our priority. Not that we don't have tremendous student needs, and we're making investments in our students, our staff, however, have been for a long time really underpaid, and we needed to change that. And we are changing that. I'm proud of that work.
So, I think the one thing that I would say is investing in our people, and then also putting systems in place. So, whether it's ouriReady system to help us track our students’ growth, which is really, really important, whether it's investing more in mental health services, whether that's hiring additional staff, which we've been able to do, or investing in Care Solace to provide, not just students and families, but staff as well, with better access to local providers. I think those things are important. I would say though, probably my most fun accomplishment that I would point to, is changing the administrative regulation so that our graduates could decorate their mortar boards at graduation. I am just a big believer in student expression, and seeing our students express their joy and their pride and their accomplishments and their family and their heritage has always been one of my favorite things as a superintendent.
Davila: What are some of the challenges that have cropped up over the past year, whether you were expecting them or not?
Enfield: This is being talked about a lot. The youth mental health crisis, the suicide rates in our community. I don't know, Jose, if you would call that a challenge. But when people ask me what I lose sleep over at night, that's it. And, it's bigger than the district, it's something that we as a community have to wrap our arms around somehow. But that is a challenge that we simply have to find a way to address collectively. I'd say that right now, that is really top of mind for me.
Davila: Well, thank you so much.
Enfield: Happy to do it.
Jose Davila IV is a corps member for Report for America, an initiative of the GroundTruth Project.
