FALLBROOK: New high school superintendent takes over next week

Dale Mitchell to start eight months after Tom Anthony's departure

By TOM PFINGSTEN - Staff Writer | Monday, August 25, 2008 5:50 PM PDT ∞

FALLBROOK ---- As nearly 3,000 high school students settled into the classroom on the first day of school Monday, the Fallbrook Union High School District was still awaiting the first day under its new leader, Dale Mitchell.

The high school board approved Mitchell's $170,000 annual contract on July 30, and he will take over as superintendent in Fallbrook Sept. 2.

The former San Francisco 49ers linebacker and current schools superintendent in Northern California said Monday that he is looking forward to finally taking the reins next week.

"I'm really pleased and excited about the opportunities, and anxious to get out of this transition time," said Mitchell, whose 3-year contract begins Sept. 1. "I'll be there on Tuesday, and we'll start out by visiting some classrooms and seeing how things are going."

Local officials said Monday they couldn't be happier about having Mitchell on board.

"He is a people person, and a relationship-oriented superintendent, which in a community like Fallbrook will pay high dividends," said board member Marc Steffler, who said that during interviews with superintendent candidates Mitchell seemed to fit Fallbrook best.

"His vision for our district, in terms of academics ---- and school climate and culture ---- was just outstanding," said Steffler.

Although he has served as superintendent of the Winters Joint Unified School District near Sacramento for seven years, Mitchell grew up in North County, attending high school in Carlsbad.

"I have some familiarity" with Fallbrook, he said. "I certainly wouldn't say I know all there is to know about either the community or the school district. There is a lot to learn and a lot of people to meet."

Bob French, a longtime California educator who has been filling in as superintendent since January, said he's known and admired Mitchell for more than 20 years.

"I think he's a very dedicated educator," French said. "He's a very caring person, and everywhere he's been, he's made a difference."

As for Mitchell's former career as a football player in San Francisco, French said he told the former linebacker, "You'd better downplay that around here, Dale, because this is Chargers country."

Steffler described Mitchell as extremely knowledgeable on educational issues, including test scores and classroom methods, adding that his experience in Winters included governing several elementary schools.

"That will allow him to network well with the elementary school districts around Fallbrook," Steffler added. "He is so versed in their ed code, their economics and their budgeting, he could sit in on a meeting of those superintendents and really hold his own."

The Winters school district's high school is much smaller than Fallbrook High, with only about 600 students enrolled during the 2007-08 school year, about a fifth as many students as Fallbrook's only high school.

A total of 1,739 students were enrolled in the Winters district's five schools in 2007-08, compared with 3,106 in the Fallbrook high school district last year, according to the state's education statistics Web site.

Mitchell will fill the top spot left vacant by former superintendent Tom Anthony's departure in January.

Anthony took a forced buyout of his three-year contract after teachers had complained for years, and often during public meetings, that he was unwilling to listen and tried to intimidate those who disagreed with him.

Anthony said he always tried to deal with district employees with respect and professionalism.

Steffler said he's already heard encouraging feedback from employees at the high school regarding Mitchell's leadership.

"He's already met with the teachers at Fallbrook High, to rave reviews," he said. "Let's just hope it goes that way, and I have no reason to believe it won't."

Contact staff writer Tom Pfingsten at (760) 740-3516 or tpfingsten@nctimes.com.