As a young girl working in the cotton fields of Louisiana with her grandfather, she’d probably never heard of Federal Way.

And despite the circuitous route she took to get here, Tammy Campbell – now Dr. Campbell – has taken on the challenge of improving our schools as superintendent.

In her formative years, Campbell learned from relatives and teachers the lessons that became part of what motivates her today: with a good education and a strong support system, anything is possible. She wants every student to know they are valued and can accomplish great things, because that was how she was made to feel. She wears her commitment to students gracefully and leads with an honest, direct manner.

Federal Way Public Schools is the biggest employer in Federal Way. It has 22,500 students in 39 schools speaking 112 different languages. One-third of its students are Caucasian and 2/3 are minority students with different cultures. Every school has parents, teachers and staff who have opinions on how their students should be educated, and managing this district would be a formidable undertaking even under the best of conditions. But the community has gone through a difficult period where its trust and confidence in its leaders was strained and then damaged.

Like any new relationship, we weren’t sure. We were particularly hesitant after the Rob Neu years of great highs of anticipation and even greater lows of disappointment. But Campbell wasn’t the least bit deterred by our distance. She wanted to know what needed to be improved and she asked us to tell her. She met with hundreds of people at all hours of the day and night. She rode buses and visited schools. She asked questions.

We slowly built our hope for a better system around her style. Where Neu was charismatic and glib, Campbell is passionate and genuine. She talks of long-term building blocks in student improvement that would extend decade to decade, not just year to year.

Our trepidation is being replaced by hope as her sincerity and belief in her profession and our children quietly continues to raise our expectations.

When you meet Campbell you are struck by the simple honesty of her approach. While you see the academic training and experience gained in Spokane and Renton that formulated her education interests, the young girl from Louisiana whose teachers told her anyone can succeed is still there. It’s part of the message she carries to all students. And the helping hand she received also helped her grandfather be able to add up his pay for his time in the cotton fields.

Her personal history and family roots are never far beneath the surface. With her, equity counts; it isn’t just a word on a piece of paper.

While we have not fully forgotten our initial comparisons, we are closer to judging her for herself and what she means to our children and further from judging her by our recent past.

At work, Campbell also had to regain the trust of the district’s 2,585 employees. They had to feel that their candid comments would be considered, not shunned, and that trust and honest disagreement could replace fear of retaliation. Year one was about adjustment and hope; year two is about a new beginning that actually moves the district forward.

In preparation for that, Campbell embarked upon the creation of a strategic plan. Parents, teachers, administrators, students and community leaders were part of the discussion, as was recognition of Federal Way’s cultural differences and economic challenges.

The path forward emerged from the blending of thoughts, ideas and goals. It led her to establish a new mentoring program along with other changes.

In addition to its 112 languages, many Federal Way students come from homes where English is not the primary language. The average family income is about $40,000 – 53 percent of students qualify for a subsidized meal program. The 73 graduation rate is a major concern, and even though the rate is only slightly below the 77 percent state average, raising it is a priority.

The strategic plan’s four building blocks to supporting students are: 1. Standards-Aligned Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning; 2. Safe Climate and Strong Relationships with Families and Community; 3. Effective, Caring, Culturally Competent Teachers, Leaders, and Staff; 4. Data-Informed Continuous Improvement.

The plan goals start in the early years with kindergartners: 1. Building the Foundation; 2. The Whole Child – Thriving, Confident, Responsible Individuals; 3. Active Learners – Engaged, Empowered, Critical Thinkers; 4. Content Area Competence – Mastery of All Subjects; 5. Persistence to Graduation – High School Graduation Through Successful Transitions.

But along with a blueprint to a brighter future comes rigors of daily district management. There was a difficult student situation at one of the elementary schools and some parental dissatisfaction with a principal at another school. The biggest challenges were the weekend shooting of a student over drugs and a gun found in the possession of another student on a school campus. Recently, a lawsuit against the district over bullying and a young student hit by a car have been in the news.

Dealing with guns on campus requires strength and determination. Employee and parental circumstances need firmness and understanding. Harm to students requires compassion.

Campbell recognizes these challenges are not unique to Federal Way in today’s world, and she will continue to put safety and inclusion as priorities. She also recognizes that not everyone will be happy with every decision she makes, and in some cases she is legally precluded from fully explaining her actions on personnel and other matters.

The school board is solidly in her camp for the long run, with four of the five elected to make the changes that resulted in Campbell’s hiring. Campbell has gone about the task of building her own team dedicated to the changes and the direction she wants to take the district. To many, the freshness of the new team has infused the district with a new sense of collaboration and urgency as memories of the recent past begin to fade. In time she may be compared to Tom Murphy instead of Rob Neu.

But the new team and new direction, like the new superintendent, are untested. The time for meeting and planning has been replaced by time for implementation and results. Campbell has won over a hesitant constituency that now wants her to succeed.

Her performance will be watched closely. Her measurement of success is simple: “Each Scholar: A Voice. A dream. A Bright Future.” If that truly becomes our reality, we all win.

Federal Way resident Bob Roegner is the former mayor of Auburn. He can be reached at bjroegner@comcast.net.