District News
Superintendent assigns second director to Southeast Region; more support to close education gaps in Southeast schools
To provide increased support and accountability to Seattle’s Southeast Region schools, Interim Superintendent Dr. Susan Enfield announced Thursday that she is assigning a second Executive Director to the Southeast region -- current Northwest Region Executive Director of Schools Brianna Dusseault.
Working with Southeast Region Executive Director of Schools Michael Tolley, Dusseault will share responsibility for the performance of and support to Southeast schools.
“We recognize the urgency of providing these schools greater support and attention, so that all Southeast students are achieving,” Enfield said.
The majority of Southeast Region schools are underperforming, with 80 percent of Southeast schools ranking as a Level 1 or Level 2 school in terms of absolute performance and student growth, she said. In addition, 90 percent are Title I schools, meaning that they serve a high concentration of low-income students.
Before coming to SPS in 2010 to serve as the Northwest Region Executive Director of Schools, Dusseault worked as a principal and teacher in high-poverty, high-achieving schools in New Orleans and Boston and as a researcher at the University of Washington, studying the practices of high-achieving urban schools and turnaround strategies in other urban districts.
Tolley, the former Director of High Schools for SPS, also has experience working as a teacher and principal in high-poverty, under-performing schools, as well as high-performing nationally recognized urban schools. Under Tolley’s leadership as Director of High Schools, a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) program was created at Cleveland High School.
“I am excited to welcome Ms. Dusseault to the Southeast Region and look forward to working with her,” said Seattle School Board member Betty Patu. “Her experience working with high-poverty schools in New Orleans will be valuable as we develop strategies to focus on the needs of our Southeast students.”
In coming months, both Executive Directors of Schools will be visiting schools, meeting with Southeast community groups and setting goals with principals prior to the start of the 2011-12 school year.
They also will launch quarterly regional meetings for Southeast Region parents and community members and hold informal coffee chats with community members during the year.
“Executive Directors are in schools every day, providing hands-on coaching to principals and ensuring that quality instruction exists in every classroom,” Enfield said. “With a second Executive Director of Schools, Southeast schools will receive far greater attention and support – something we believe is vital to closing the education gaps experienced by many of our students.”
A search has been launched for a Northwest Region Director to replace Dusseault, and she will continue to work with Northwest Region schools until that person is hired.