Superintendent Candidate Might Cut Nashville Students More Slack For Small Offenses

Nashville students could get a few more second chances if Jesus Jara is chosen as superintendent. As part of his final round of interviews, he highlighted so-called “restorative justice” practices from his district in Orlando. 

It’s easy for a seemingly small theft to become a big deal. Because smart phones are worth hundreds of dollars, stealing one can be considered a felony in Florida, says Jara. He’s deputy superintendent in Orange County, where the schools started a program called “theft talk” to give students a second chance after taking an iPhone.

“If they return it, and the victim accepts the conditions, we bring the student back,” Jara said during his interview Thursday. “Again, things that we need to do to keep our kids in school.”

The district in Orlando did the same for some drug and sexual offenses, Jara says.

Metro Schools has already been exploring new ways to reduce suspensions and expulsions, with
some success. Jara says he’s a believer in doing whatever can be done to keep kids in school, even if they have broken the law.

In a more than two-hour interview with the Metro school board, Jara also explained a batch of
negative press when he was a superintendent in Key West. He was responsible for deep budget cuts. He called it a tough decision, but one that was made to keep the district solvent and avoid a state takeover.

“It was really to create the efficiencies away from the classroom, to really save the district,” he said. “If we didn’t make all those cuts, they would have had $900,000 in the bank that year.”

Thursday night, Jara met with parents and educators at Overton High School.

Attendees complimented Jara’s focus on English-language learners, and many applauded his statements on “meeting [people] where they are.” Jara says that includes communicating with students through apps like Snapchat, Kik, and Twitter.

But he also emphasized meeting parents in
their
gathering places. He says reaching minority communities often requires “relentless” outreach, including events at their churches and other centers of activity.

But some left the forum unsatisfied with the overall superintendent search process.

Natalie Martin retired from her job with Metro Schools in 2014, and her daughter graduated high school several years ago. But she stays invested in the school system. Martin says she doesn’t think the public has gotten a full view of the three superintendent finalists.

“Coming tonight to hear one was very beneficial, because I didn’t know much about him,” she said. “But it would have been great to maybe have all three of them together in one setting to really compare them.”

Other audience members agree, and they wish the forums had allowed all the candidates to appear at once in a more central location. Even Gary Straight, who made it to all three, sees flaws in the model.

“In some ways, these are always… a bit artificial,” he said.

Still, Straight appreciates that candidates like Jesus Jara had a public opportunity to respond to the issues facing Nashville.

The Metro school board hopes to make an offer to one of the three finalists Friday morning. If accepted, details of the contract could be hammered out over the weekend.