Dr. Marcus Jackson interviewed as candidate for Terrebonne Parish superintendent; board members press on recruitment, special ed and past certificate suspension

Dr. Marcus Jackson presented his candidacy to the Terrebonne Parish School Board and outlined a community‑centered strategy he calls the "5 P's" — parents, people in the community, pastors, politicians and personnel — as the foundation for improving student outcomes. Jackson described programmatic steps he said produced gains in Texas, including social‑emotional learning, an in‑district grocery ordering pickup program for families, and targeted tutoring for students in special education.

Jackson recounted his career path from teacher to district chief academic officer and said he led turnaround work that moved a cluster of low‑performing schools in Lake Charles from a C to a B in one year. He also told the board that Lancaster ISD achieved "four consecutive years of 100% graduation rate," and he directed members to a YouTube feature he said documents that result.

Board members asked detailed questions. Board member Lagarde pressed Jackson on recruiting and retaining teachers of color in majority‑white schools; Jackson said he has made a personal effort to recruit African American male teachers, noted demographic challenges (calling 1.8% a specific figure for that teacher population in one context) and emphasized hiring "great teachers who love kids." Board member Ford focused on declining enrollment and whether special‑education families feel sidelined; Jackson described deliberate interventions — tutoring, coaching and attention to test‑anxiety and testing environments — and cited an example of a student who later enrolled in university after sustained outreach.

On budgeting and organizational culture, board member Benoit asked Jackson to explain "0‑based budgeting." Jackson defined it as requiring each department to start its budget at zero and justify spending; he said the process revealed that in one year the district had spent nearly "a half $1,000,000" on items such as teacher appreciation expenditures, and he said the practice helped refocus dollars on student needs.

When asked by Crowdus about a resume disclosure that a certificate had been suspended, Jackson acknowledged two prior matters: a student‑loan error that he said was reversed, and an ethics investigation that led to a 10‑day suspension of his certificate that was later reversed. He said human‑resources documentation could show he was returned to good standing.

Dr. Cloutier and other members asked how Jackson would communicate district successes to reverse enrollment declines. Jackson said transparency about strengths and areas for refinement is important and suggested innovative programming — including a pre‑K3 program with on‑site child care for teachers and expanded CTE programs coupled with community businesses — as ways to attract and retain families.

Jackson told Dehart he researched Terrebonne Parish's academic and fiscal standing, saying the district is "in the top 20–30% in the state" academically and has reserves but faces enrollment pressure; he asked who is aggressively reaching the roughly 10% gap in attendance or graduation. On curriculum, Jackson emphasized committee‑driven, personalized reforms and said students themselves should be asked what they need.

Jackson closed by reiterating his qualifications and his belief that coordinating parents, community, faith leaders, political leaders and district personnel is essential to raising outcomes. The board thanked him; the transcript does not record any hiring decision or the next procedural step.


Quotes

"This work that we do is a plural thing. It takes a plethora of people," Jackson said, describing his "5 P's" framework.

"If we take care of the people, the points and percentages will take care of itself," he said when describing social‑emotional learning and staff supports.

On the certification matter, Jackson said, "My certificate was actually suspended for 10 days. It was actually reversed."