Register: More restructuring on the way

New schools chief plans to continue on road laid down by state

Email | Print By Amy Griffith Graydon

Jesse Register

The ink is barely dry on the contract of new Director of Metro Schools Jesse Register and his official start date isn’t until Jan. 15. But in a NashvillePost.com interview this morning, Register said further restructuring is on the way for the central offices of Metro Nashville Public Schools.

Register commented publicly as early as his first Nashville interview on the need for improvements to MNPS’s organizational chart. On Wednesday, he said he wants to continue restructuring work already begun by the Tennessee Department of Education.

“They’ve made a start, and now the job is to finish,” Register said. “The central office will assuredly be restructured in some way, and here’s the reason: The central office needs to be structured to support the work that’s going on in the schools. Everything we do here needs to be focused on helping teachers be successful,” Register said.

Substantial organizational shifts have already been made this year by the DOE, with sweeping changes focused most heavily in the areas of federal programs and offices connected with teaching and learning. Those changes were put in motion over the summer in a six-month trial period. Next week, DOE accountability chief Connie Smith will update the board on progress made during those six months.

Changes made by the state were intended to be budget-neutral, with salary freezes in place until the conclusion of the six-month trial. The state had authority to make the changes due to the district’s status under federal No Child Left Behind laws – after repeatedly failing to meet certain benchmarks, MNPS reached a point at which the state has legal authority over all personnel and financial resources.

In the immediate future, Register wants to devote time to visiting schools in each of MNPS’s nine school board districts. He plans to take nine days out of the next few weeks and wants to organize open meetings in each district for listening to parents and community members.

Register doesn’t officially begin work until Jan. 15, but he spent time today in one-on-one interviews with members of the local news media. He plans to attend the Jan. 13 meeting which includes the update from Smith, and will meet privately with Mayor Karl Dean on his first day of work. He is also working with MNPS administrators to plan community outreach.

The school board last night unanimously voted to hire Register, and approved a base annual salary of $250,000. Register was superintendent of Hamilton County Schools in Chattanooga for 10 years before retiring in 2006.