Longtime educator Willie Jett takes over as Minnesota's new education commissioner

Willie Jett's reputation precedes him.

The newly named Minnesota Department of Education commissioner had agency staff buzzing when he took the reins in January. He's the first Black man to hold the title and second Black Minnesotan behind Brenda Cassellius.

Jett's years as an educator in districts of various sizes and localities — as a teacher, coach, principal and superintendent — impressed his direct reports.

"He has so many different experiences himself, working at so many different levels of our education system," said Crystal Brakke, chair of the Association of Metropolitan School Districts. "This is somebody who knows the intricacies of managing a system that's so complex."

Jett, 58, takes over the Department of Education as the agency navigates the first seemingly normal school years after the lockdowns and stress of the coronavirus pandemic. Students in Minnesota have lost academic ground and the department has come under fire for its handling of millions of dollars in federal grants meant to feed kids in need.

He's spent the first few weeks on the job meeting with educators and people across the state, from superintendents to tribal leaders, and described the experience so far as "drinking water from a firehose."

"I think our job at the Department of Education is to go out and see people, talk to people," Jett said in an interview. "We need to ask them what they need."

Jett's supporters say that his extensive administrative experience, from his stint as assistant superintendent of St. Paul Public Schools to his time as superintendent of the St. Cloud school district, gave him the skills to tackle the department's most urgent issues.

During his eight-year stint leading the district, Jett became known for his emphasis on taking a "whole-child" approach to education. He put equal weight on students' social and emotional well-being as their academic progress. Jett instituted a co-teaching model in some St. Cloud schools that allowed educators to better monitor and help struggling students.

And as educators across the state ponder how the school system must adapt to post-lockdown realities, many praise Jett for his ability to think about what individual students need. He has long extolled the virtues of career and technical education, pushing students to use their time in school to explore their passion whether it's reading and writing or fixing a leaky faucet.

Supporters also point to his ability to forge strong working relationships in both the public and private sectors.

When the waitlist for St. Cloud's early childhood programs numbered 150, Jett took up the local Rotary Club's offer to help. The club enlisted a group of volunteers and rented space to provide additional slots for families. St. Cloud Area Schools lent the organization a slew of books.

"He's a thoughtful leader who's very student-centric in his approach and collaborative in nature," Brakke said.

If Jett has detractors, they were silent when he testified during his confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Education Policy Committee. Republicans and DFLers alike lamented the state's academic disparities and lackluster approach to prescribing solutions for disruptive classrooms.

As Republicans addressed the new commissioner — appointed by a DFL governor — each expressed optimism that Jett's long tenure as a Minnesota educator will help him tackle some of the state's most persistent academic issues, including disparities in academic outcomes and slides in reading and math proficiency in recent years.

Sen. Jim Abeler, R-Anoka, said that while he believes the state's revised social studies standards were rammed through with little input from critics, he's hopeful Jett will be more open as his department crafts policy going forward.

"It seems like you're that kind of a person and I appreciate seeing that in you," Abeler told Jett during his confirmation hearing.

The committee voted unanimously to refer Jett to a full confirmation vote in the Senate, which has not yet been scheduled. As he testified, Jett's mother looked on, along with his son and daughter, both of whom skipped class at the University of Minnesota to watch the hearing.

His salary for 2023 is $150,000, according to state records.

Jett's career has been defined by his ability to forge relationships.

As a member of a casino pit crew in Las Vegas, Jett had to pitch games and events to prospective guests. He also forged strong bonds with youth at a runaway shelter where he volunteered at the time.

As a volunteer coach for the Cornell University men's basketball team in the late 1980s, he pushed student athletes on the court. And throughout his tenure as teacher and administrator, he urged students to work toward success after graduation.

Jett said his mother and father — a school social worker and a teacher, respectively — pushed him to succeed academically. As a high schooler in Osseo, Jett wasn't allowed to earn anything lower than an A or a B.

Now he wants to hold Minnesota students to the same standards. And he wants kids across the state to believe they can meet them.

"At the end of the day — at the end of my tenure — I want people to know that I was about a kid," Jett said.

Staff writer Jenny Berg contributed to this report.