Farewell to Superintendent Dr. James Meza from the Jefferson Chamber
The Jefferson Chamber of Commerce would like to take a moment to honor the many accomplishments of Dr. James Meza as he prepares to step down on September 30th. In three years, Dr. Meza, as superintendent of Louisiana's largest public school system, brought profound changes and substantial increases to the schools of Jefferson Parish.
Farewell to Superintendent Dr. James Meza
Following is a snapshot of some of the accomplishments led by Dr. Meza, the School Board, and the Teachers:
The Jefferson Parish Schools' overall letter grade improved from a D to a B.
The number of Jefferson Parish schools earning an A or a B rose from 14 percent to 41 percent.
The school district ranking went from 51 to 36 out of 74 public school systems in 2010 and 2013, respectively.
Dr. Meza and the School Board increased performance of schools by empowering the principals. With the termination of the collective bargaining agreement, principals were given control of the personnel at their schools. In addition, teachers were issued employment contracts outlining compensation, benefits, and work conditions and expectations.
Eliminated a $25 million budget deficit that ultimately led to the first teacher pay increase in three years.
Expanded the opportunities for charter schools in Jefferson, opening four new charter schools.
Enrollment increased from 45,585 in 2010 to 46,312 in 2013.
An increase in graduation rates, ACT scores, LEAP and iLeap scores, beating the state average in all three categories.
Superintendent Dr. James Meza
The Jefferson Chamber of Commerce would like to bid farewell to Dr. Meza. Thank you for increasing the quality of education and enriching the lives of students throughout Jefferson Parish.
We wish you continued success.
Read more about Dr. Meza's time with
Jefferson Parish Public Schools: