Dr. William R. Hite, Jr.

Superintendent

The School District of Philadelphia

Philadelphia, PA

With a focus on equity, innovation and quality, Dr. William R. Hite serves as Superintendent of The School District of Philadelphia, the largest public school system in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Since joining the School District in June 2012, Dr. Hite has worked to create a system of great schools in every neighborhood. Under his leadership, the School District has opened new innovative high schools, expanded successful school models, launched in-district turnarounds and redesigned schools in partnership with communities. His overall focus remains on strengthening all elementary and secondary school offerings.

Dr. Hite’s professional experience includes serving at every level – teacher, principal, central office administrator and Superintendent. He was previously Superintendent of Prince George’s County Public Schools in Maryland where his central work focused on enhanced access and rigor to ensure college- and career-readiness. Prince George’s County schools, one of the 25 largest systems in the United States, received national recognition for expanding access to Advanced Placement courses during his tenure.

Dr. Hite also served as an Assistant Superintendent in Georgia’s Cobb County School District. In addition, as an administrator in Henrico County, Virginia, he led Highland Springs High School to “Best Practices” honors from the state’s General Assembly.

Dr. Hite has been an adjunct faculty member at the University of Richmond School of Continuous Learning and taught school leadership courses at Virginia State University, Bowie State University and the University of Maryland. A member of numerous national, state, and local boards, he has participated with national agencies and associations to reform K-12 education.

Dr. Enfield is a uniquely strong advocate for community support of public education, and a remarkable collaborator with her district’s Education Foundation: “Their partnership is making a difference in the lives of the nearly 19,000 students in the district. Together they are improving high school graduation rates, closing the achievement gap for English language learners, and creating a culture of success.”

The promise of Highline Public Schools is to know every student by name, strength and need so they graduate prepared for the future they choose. During her tenure in Highline Public Schools, Dr. Enfield has worked side by side with the Highline Schools Foundation to secure major grants and donations from many sources, including Alaska Airlines, Boeing, and the Biller Family Foundation.

According to Highline  Schools  Foundation Executive Director, Anne Baunach, Enfield welcomes her role as a fundraiser-in-chief, and  promotes the  Foundation to school  parents, community members and  potential donors. “I have worked with numerous superintendents in my role as parent-volunteer, school  board member, development professional and now foundation employee. I truly have never  met  anyone with the commitment to students that Dr. Enfield brings.”  Her efforts  have  paid off with the  renovation of school  facilities, and  a strategic plan dedicated to creating a culturally responsive school  climate, meeting both the  social emotional and  academic needs of students and  encouraging digital  and media literacy  for all students.

Dr. Enfield is a former  high school  English, journalism and  ELL teacher, and  she served as Chief Academic Officer and  then as Interim Superintendent for Seattle Public Schools  before coming to Highline in 2012.  She is a graduate of the  University of California,  Berkeley,  and earned master’s degrees from Stanford University and  Harvard  University. She also holds  a doctoral degree in Administration, Planning and  Social Policy from Harvard’s Urban  Superintendents Program.

Dr. Susan Enfield

Superintendent

Highline Public Schools

Burien, WA

Dr. Michael A. Grego

Superintendent

Pinellas County School District

Largo, FL

Dr. Grego is a visionary leader and dedicated educator whose career spans more than 35 years. He began his career as a classroom teacher and department head with Hillsborough County Schools, advancing to become the Assistant Superintendent for Technical, Career & Adult Education, and then Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction.  He became Superintendent of the Pinellas County School District in September, 2012. Based in Largo, FL, the system serves nearly 104,000 students in their PK-12 district enrollment, including more than 140 schools and centers. The district is the 7th largest in Florida and 26th largest in the nation serving 76 elementary schools, 22 middle schools, 17 high schools, 6 alternative & exception education schools, 9 adult/vocational schools, 16 centers, and
14 charter schools. With more than 17,000 teachers, administrators and support staff, the district is also Pinellas County's largest employer. Additionally, over 20,000 people serve as volunteers

Dr. Grego is seen as a beacon of change and innovation for the school district, and he has aggressively worked to eliminate achievement gaps in Pinellas County Schools.

Since 2011, Dr. Grego has led a partnership with PEF's Stavros Career Education Board to implement Academies of Pinellas in PCS high schools to prepare students for careers in high demand industries. This group includes active business partners from a wide variety of institutions across the county. Students have shown better attendance, higher GPAs and higher graduation rates than non-academy peers
(96.4% v. 86.5%). Due to this effort, Ford Next Generation Learning (NGL) named Pinellas a Model Community in 2013 and a Ford NGL Innovation Center in 2016, one of only four in the U.S. Under Dr. Grego's leadership, PCS and the Foundation created a master plan for Career Education, resulting in 51% of students being enrolled in career academies, and 13,000 certifications earned in 2017. In 2013, Dr. Grego mandated that all PCS high school students graduate from high school equipped with a career plan, using the Future Plans career planning tool developed by the Pinellas Education Foundation.

Under Dr. Grego’s direction, Pinellas County Schools has achieved district-wide accreditation and has been recognized for several major accomplishments. The Learning Counsel honored PCS as one of the top 10 districts in the nation for its digital curriculum strategy. A 2017 report by the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C, ranked PCS as the top in Florida and 10th in the nation for districts offering the best choices for parents. The district earned the top score in Florida two years in a row. In 2017, PCS also earned top-10 ranking in the annual Digital School Districts Survey for exemplary use of technology. The same year, Pinellas was named one of the Great Districts for Great Teachers by the National Council for Teacher Quality. The award honors districts that celebrate, support and reward great teachers.

Dr. Grego has implemented a number of forward-thinking initiatives to advance the district’s vision of “100% Student Success.”

During Dr. Grego’s tenure, PCS launched:

• ”Beyond the Classroom”, online educational resources available to students 24/7.
• “Bridging the Gap”, an initiative created to close the gap between African American students and their peers.
• “Pinellas Innovates”, a long-range plan to expand personalized learning opportunities for students.
• “Pinellas Pathways to Graduation”, rigorous and relevant course options that help students successfully complete the requirements for earning a high school diploma and uniquely distinguish themselves as they apply to colleges, universities, and technical schools, or enter the workforce.
• “Summer Bridge”, an ambitious summer learning program that sets students up for success.