Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - Focus will be on doing the right thing for children, being visible, new superintendent says

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Monday, March 26, 2001
Focus will be on doing the right thing for children, being visible, new superintendent says

Chavez

The Corpus Christi school board voted 5-2 last week to proceed with hiring 44-year-old Jesus Chavez, superintendent of the Harlingen Independent School District, as the new superintendent in Corpus Christi.

   Q: One of your staff described you as a softie. Is that true?
   A: I am very, very nice with people. I approach things in a very professional manner. I like to treat people fairly, in a dignified manner. You won’t see me get angry or throw a temper tantrum. I am very, very nice to everyone _ students, parents, employees. When I visit schools, I love to stop by and say hello to everyone, custodians, food service people. I’ve had a taco with our cafeteria lady. I am a people person and I truly enjoy that part of the job.
   I think the employees will also tell you that I keep them accountable, that I do have very high expectations of the staff and students. I don’t want you to think that we run a loose ship here in Harlingen. We get things done and I’m a very hard worker. I depend a lot on the staff and my assistants to come through for me and they do. I can’t say enough the staff, the teachers, the principals and my assistant superintendents.

   Q: If you don’t get angry, what is your outlet?
   A: My outlet is my family and doing family things. I like to walk and job. I like fishing. I’m really looking forward to fishing in the Corpus area. Those are the outlets I have. I think I’ve got a very good perspective on life. What I mean is, there are very, very serious things that happen to individuals, that happen to families and I count my blessings every day. Whenever there are problems -whether they be personnel problems or programs problems-I look at them as an opportunity to resolve those things and make things better. I take a positive approach to things. One of my staff members says I’m the ultimate optimist, and that’s the way I look at things. It’s going to get better. We’re going to work it out. Let’s leave the worrying and frustration for the really serious things in life, death in the family, a sever accident involving a district employee-those are the serious, serious matters of life.

   Q: I understand Harlingen manages to come in under budget on a yearly basis. That isn’t the case in Corpus. How will you address the issue of setting and meeting the budget in such a large district?
   A: I’ve had a lot of experience, bot in situations where we had excess funds and added programs or added staff and also been in situations where you have to cut the budget, which happened a number of times in the Round Rock school district. Here in Harlingen over the last few years it has gotten a bit tighter. It’s a matter of setting priorities for the district and looking at what are the really important things that we need to spend money on and cut back in some other areas. We will always involve the schools and the principals, the administration in those kinds of decisions and come up with the best ideas they have. So that’s how we would work thought that. I have no difficulties dealing with a tight budget or having to balance the budget and make cuts. We’re going to do that together.

   Q: How will you unite a board knowing from the start the decision to bring you to Corpus was not unanimous?
   A: As I said, I have always worked very, very well with people. My focus is going to be on doing the right things for kids. Part of my philosophy is working with people in a very fair and dignified manner. I think that a lot of times actions speak louder than words. Working with people, doing what’s right for children, with that kind of approach my hope is that everyone of the board members will work with me. We will work together as at team of eight and work with the other administrators in the district to form a super-team that does some great things for the community of Corpus.
   I’ll tell you that when I came to Harlingen I had one board member who was not for me. But when he left the board, he was one of my strongest supporters and to this day he supports me and talks positive about me. He’ll admit he made a mistake by not voting for Dr. Chavez. Over time, my actions, what I did for kids, he came around. I always work well with people whether their opinion differs from my opinion or I disagree with them, I will work with that individual in a very dignified manner.

   Q: Your salary has raised some concern with board members and within the community. Why do you require an above-average salary package, one that is higher than the previous superintendent’s salary in Corpus by $11,000?
   A: Let me say this. I’ve already indicated I was very honest with the board, with the information that I gave them, the information necessary for them to make a decision. Had the board not worked with me, I would be working in Harlingen with a $200 salary package per year. I am guessing the board in their wisdom looked at my qualifications and experience and saw a good match between what I brought and will offer the district. What was necessary and needed they felt that yes they could provide some additional amount above the $200,000 level. If they had said ‘No, we can’t pay $212,000,’ then right now I’d be signing a contract with Harlingen. So I really would want to-and I don’t that’s going to be possible-but I would want to put the salary issue behind us and focus on the important things, the children, creating exemplary programs for them and doing what we can to improve the community, to improve the school district.

   Q: How are you going to encourage people to move past this point?
   A: I’m going to be myself. And what I mean by that is I’m going to be very, very visible in the community. I’m going to join different clubs in the community to provide a direct line to the superintendent. In Harlingen, I belong to the Rotary Club, the Chamber of Commerce, the Lions Club to my church men’s group. I will do all that in Corpus and be very, very visible. In addition to that, I will be visiting the schools. I will be visiting with students, with parents, with teachers... Working with people, getting to know people, I think that is extremely important. Think that by doing that people get a real sense of who you are and where your heart is-doing what is best for kids and working hard at that. With those kinds of efforts, the community is going to come together along with the school board and we will propel Corpus Christi forward.

   Q: You are only one person with a limited amount of hours in a day. You are moving from a district with 24 campuses to one with 62 campuses. How can you apply your desire to be visible in such a large district?
   A: It’s not going to keep physically possible to keep the same kind of schedule I had in Harlingen. You’re right, there are physical limitations. I’ll tell you that over a period of time I will visit every single campus. It might take several months it might take me a whole year. But I will make it a point to visit every single campus facility and do those kinds of things I described earlier... My extension is going to be the school board, administrators I work with. I’m going to meet with principals on a monthly basis, more if necessary. We’re all going to be working on the same kinds of things. My feeling is a superintendent should energize the whole school district. Educators have great heart, great passion for kids, for teaching the kids and seeing that the kids are learning. All those folks are an extension of the superintendent.

   Q: What do you think needs to be changed in the district?
   A: I’d rather speak to what focus we’re going to have. Continual improvement of schools so that there is student progress and student performance. We want to have more exemplary schools, more recognized schools and in order to do that we need to have good support from the central office. The teachers need the resources and skills to accomplish those things. The dropout rate has been mentioned. We need to review the programs we have and look at what strategies could be implemented so that students stay in school and get educated and we open the door of opportunity to them. Long term, the board has indicated that we need to take care of our facilities, to renovate and upgrade. That’s a longer term goal we would have. Yes, we need to have good, attractive, clean, usable schools. That’s necessary to have a good educational environment. Those are the three main things.

   Q: A bond issue to subsidize the cost of facility improvement will likely be needed. How familiar are you with this process?
   A: In Round Rock, I was involved in a $64 million bond issue, a $17 million bond issue, a $34 million bond issue and a $107 million bond issue. I was involved in all those bond issues and a lot of the planning with regards to facility needs. And all those bond issues were successful in Round Rock. When I came to Harlingen, we did an extensive facility needs analysis and developed an improvement plan and then went to the community and formed a large task force, over 80 people, they went and visited every campus to validate and add to the list of needs. After we did that the community group came to the board and asked the board for a bond election. It wasn’t the board that went to the community, it was the community that came to the board. The board then worked with the community to pare that down and the result was an 82 million bond proposal to the community which passed. Currently we’re in the second year of that capital improvement plan. We have renovated two of our schools completely and right now we have five others underway. Over the next two years, we will complete that $82 million package. I’ve had a lot of experience in renovating and upgrading facilities and obtaining the necessary funds to do that. I look forward to working with everyone in Corpus to do that.

   Q: Where do you stand on increasing teacher salaries and improved benefits?
   A: There is no question that as we are able we need to improve the benefits teachers receive in the form of salary increases and health insurance as well. I’m hopeful that the state will provide some help. I say some help in that as I review the state budget there aren’t enough dollars there for a comprehensive health program to be funded by the state. But I’m going to guess they can fund somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 percent of a health plan. My hopes are that the state will approve a state health plan and then commit the money. As time goes on, we will have a full state health plan funded by the state. I think communities generally are very supportive of increasing teacher salaries and it’s becoming very competitive across the state. Just this morning I heard of some areas of the state that are paying $34,000 and $35,000 for a beginning teacher salary. And Corpus will need to remain competitive. I am for teacher salary increases.

   Q: Why is Corpus the right district for you?
   A: I think every job that one has, one grows. I had a tremendous growth opportunity in Round Rock. I was there 11 years. I had tremendous growth in Harlingen and I’ve been there six years. Over the last year and a half to two years, I’ve wanted to move to a large school district. Corpus has always been in the back of my mind as a place I’d like to work even before the job opening I had already identified Corpus as a possible location to apply. The closeness to the valley, that’s important to me. I’ve got family in the valley, I’ve got friends in the valley and I’m from the valley. I think working with minority population has always been important to me. And that’s not to say I’m not for Anglo kids, I’m for everybody. Those are some of the reasons I really am excited about coming to Corpus.

This Q&A was compiled by staff writer Paula Caballero. She may be contacted at 886-3758 or by e-mail at caballerop@caller.com

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