BTB: What inspired you to enter the field of education?

CF: I wanted to enter the field of education ever since I was in second grade because I was completely impressed with my teacher. At the same time, my parents bought an old upright piano, and I began studying music. Eventually, I taught at the Los Angeles Music and Arts School for five years.

In my first year of college, before I began teaching, I had the opportunity to observe principals. I decided that not only did I want to become a teacher, but following that I wanted to become a principal. I set my goals in line, and when I became a principal, I had the opportunity to observe a superintendent whom I admired greatly. I was active in the teacher's union, and I watched how he turned three board members elected to fire him into his greatest supporters in a period of eighteen months.

Initially, as a teacher, I wanted to make an impact on children. I still consider myself a teacher, but I've broadened that scope in terms of my goals. As superintendent in Whittier City School District, I'm able to make an impact on a larger scale.

BTB: What was your greatest challenge coming in as superintendent at Whittier City School District?

CF: I had the challenge of pulling together the educational community. There were thirteen schools operating very independently, and the community was disconnected from the school district. Through my involvement in Whittier, I was asked to serve on numerous boards, and was pulled onto key planning committees. As director of the Rotary Club scholarship program, I was able to award scholarships to thirteen youth groups, and invited others to apply too. I felt I was very successful with that challenge.

Secondly, students were not achieving at the level they should have been. You need to have broader community support when you set out to help children improve. Now, sixty members of the First Christian Church go to one of the schools twice a week to tutor students, and another church in town conducts beautification days at a school. Some local banks also spend time with our students, painting and reworking the gardens. It's a total community effort, and the students can see that they are center stage, which they should be. All of the initiatives we've done for improving student achievement were done with the larger support base that we need. Of course, I include our staff and all of the professional development that we planned and executed to see that our educators were prepared to meet the students' needs.

BTB: What are some other unique approaches you took to tackle those challenges?

CF: Through a districtwide effort that has been in operation for the past four years, we are building the capacity of our teachers, and it's having a tremendous impact. I view it as one of the best things that we're doing because teachers are becoming experts in their own right. We're training our trainers, but, at the same time, we're losing some of our staff because we don't have the positions for them to move up. However, I think we are doing a greater good because they are doing well in other districts, and we are benefiting from that.

One of the other things that I initiated, which was a major goal, is working with our aspiring administrators. About twenty come in each year, and we have a planned curriculum. They have to work in quasi-administrative positions such as literacy or math coach, or teaching vice-principal. We take them through a whole curriculum of ten sessions and they attend during their own time. They are our future leaders—we are investing in them, and they are investing in themselves. Consequently, they are doing great things in our schools. We are able to build the capacity of our staff. We're a people business, and we need to focus on that because the students benefit directly.

BTB: What prompted you and others to form Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS)?

CF: At the time ALAS was being discussed, I was an officer in the California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators. I got a call that a group was going to meet in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Another meeting took place around that time in Las Vegas, which Carlos Garcia, then superintendent of San Francisco Unified School District, hosted. So the seed was planted, and we started to work on our bylaws, and also on the dream of what we ultimately wanted to see. We wanted to see affiliates in every state. We wanted it to be an organization that focuses on the success of all children, and in particular Latino children, though not exclusively. Now, we've had our fourth annual conference, and we're really excited about our progress. The percentage of Latinos is growing in leaps and bounds nationwide, and we need to be able to meet the needs of Latino students. To do so, we need involvement from every state. Certainly, language is the major issue for Latino children. It's one thing when you have a minority that has just one language, but for Latinos, there is a double-language barrier in schools. Currently, we're looking at really pushing initiatives to ensure the needs of Latino children are not only recognized but also are being met throughout the nation.

BTB: What type of advice do you have for administrators who will work with Latino students?

CF: I was speaking with a superintendent of a district in North Carolina, and she said she's at crisis level—the number of Latino students in her district has tripled. I give her and her staff credit for contacting ALAS and trying to find ways to deal with it. Even a relative that teaches at a parochial school asked my husband and me if we could recommend any materials for ESL students. When you're hearing it from both large and small schools and districts it's apparent that more needs to be done, and quickly.

I advise administrators to look at accurate assessments of student progress and need. I also suggest providing differentiated instruction and obtaining the necessary instructional materials. One of the gaps that needs special attention is the intermediate group of English learners who appear to be knowledgeable in English and to have acquired the skills, but really haven't. It's deceptive. They're viewed as doing fine, but they fall behind in the middle grades, and certainly in high school. It is difficult to find the appropriate materials to meet the students' needs and the professional development necessary to help the teachers. Even in my own district, we saw that teachers were not explicitly teaching their English language development, it was being superficially addressed or not at all addressed, which is highly problematic. We have spent a lot of time working with our K–5 teachers on teaching English language learners. The instruction is daily and explicit, and we set specific expectations.

At the secondary level, there's a greater challenge when students enter school not speaking English, or come in speaking different levels of English. In the past, we've used "newcomer" groups, which I prefer to call "catch up" groups. We block parts of the entire day for four to six months to catch up those students so that they can understand and be able to function within the regular, mainstream classroom. Those are some of the things I encourage others who are dealing with English learners to do. Also, I encourage them to network and attend conferences like ALAS to learn best practices.

BTB: What do you believe is the most effective method of leadership in education?

CF: Women leaders, specifically Latinas, or other minority leaders, need to be able to look at all sides of an issue and to bounce back and forth—play devil's advocate. They need the ability to hire quality administrators who will act as their lieutenants, forging strong community relations. As superintendent, it is critical to work successfully with your board of education. Everyone needs to be on the same page so that you can successfully move forward. Also, do not be afraid to make difficult decisions. I've had to make many, and one of them was to close a school. That's the number one thing that could cause a superintendent to lose his or her job. I spent eighteen months working on that, day and night, to the point that when the board finally made the decision, we already had all the necessary buy-in from our input groups and staff. At the public meeting, only one parent came to speak, but we effectively addressed the community's concerns. We closed the school and immediately turned it into a preschool to fill another substantial need in the community. One door closed, only to open another door.

When approaching an issue, I always like to ask: Is this fair to everyone, and is it in the best interest of the children? It doesn't matter what level or what department we're examining. I think women need to work in a collaborative manner. I think leaders need the ability to negotiate difficult situations, to create strategies—a game plan—and to have the oversight that is necessary. Determination and persistence are two important characteristics. As a woman, I've had to work twice as hard and twice as long, and had to come across as twice as smart as men in the field. Some helpful hints for women considering a superintendency are to have a mentor whom you can bounce situations off and get advice from. The superintendency is a lonely job, and it is a funnel that narrows as you move up through the ranks. You need to have a strong support base.

With regard to a school board, I suggest learning the working styles of the board members. For example, do they want to be called, receive notes, or meet for breakfast weekly? I also suggest building a rapport with them by inquiring about their families, vacations, etc. Additionally, I celebrate each board member's birthday. In closed session, we sing and have cupcakes. That's one of the traditions I established. I also speak to them about issues and ask their opinions about what they would like to see. It is important that they feel valued, and are valued. I also keep them informed of everything, both the good and the bad—that is one way to build trust so they know you are not covering up anything. Also, you need to treat them all the same. One board member should never feel that they're getting additional access over another.

Visibility and district representation are also key. It's important for the superintendent to be quite visible and to represent her district well. Also, you need to connect with the powers in town, which can be difficult especially if it's a boy's club. I have had to deal with that, and I was successful in a prior situation. I encountered resistance from all of the male supervisors daily. I held my own for those years. Every day I said, "Can we not try something different? Is there something wrong with thinking differently to bring about change?" They gave me a hard time, but I kept asking my questions and then moved on to the superintendency.

One of the things that most helped me succeed was to remain positive. If someone approaches me with an issue at a school, I ask him or her how we are going to handle it, and think about how to move forward. I urge people who are contemplating being superintendents to stay true to themselves, keep fun in their lives, and maintain balance. You have to have balance. If you start off running in your superintendency, you're never going to be allowed to slow down. I had a bond to pass in the first six months of my superintendnecy, and I was out forty-three of forty-six nights. The expectation became that I would be as visible and active during my tenure. The bar was already set. So if you start off running, be prepared to change your tennis shoes often!

BTB: Do you still play the piano?

CF: I do. I play for myself. I have those quiet moments when I sit at the piano and play. I had a great uncle who was a magnificent pianist, and he was the inspiration for my study. He also ran a boxing gym for kids in the neighborhood. Consequently, to this day I like boxing, which I would say has probably come in handy. I can spar with the best of them.