Walter Jackson, Superintendent, La Porte Independent School District (ISD)

Invest: spoke with Walter Jackson, superintendent of La Porte Independent School District (ISD), about strengthening student safety, literacy, and career pathways tied to the region’s industrial and innovation economy. “We are preparing students for a world that has not even been totally invented,” Jackson said, emphasizing the need to keep pace with rapid change while staying grounded in fundamentals.

What have been the most important developments for La Porte ISD, and how are they shaping your priorities as you move further into your strategic plan?

Our most important developments and priorities always center around student safety. We want to make certain that our number one priority is to ensure that students are safe and that they can learn in a clean, open environment. Alongside that, we focus on ensuring that students have access to quality, highly qualified teachers in classrooms that are safe and orderly.

We are also focused on instruction that prepares students for the global economy we are living in. We are preparing students for a world that has not even been totally invented. We are preparing students for a world that is constantly in change, where artificial intelligence is becoming the norm. So we are doing everything in our power to ensure that our students are prepared for the world we live in now, and the world that is to come.

We also have to be candid about the challenges we face. There is a decline in student enrollment across the region, the state, and the nation. There are more options than ever: public schools, charter schools, private schools, and the growth of homeschooling. That means public education has to do a better job of ensuring our system is high-quality and that the opportunities and programs we offer rival other options, and more importantly, are better. When people have a choice, that choice forces us to get better at what we do, the resources we provide, and the results we deliver for students and families.

How is La Porte ISD expanding early exposure to STEM and workforce-aligned programs while still maintaining strong college preparation?

About four years ago, we implemented STEM academies on all seven of our elementary campuses. From kindergarten through fifth grade, and in some cases through sixth grade, we have STEM academies that give students early exposure to science, technology, engineering, and math in a structured way.

From sixth through twelfth grade, we also have a major focus on college, career, and technical education. College, career, and military readiness is a huge part of what we do, and it has to be, because of the opportunities surrounding our district. La Porte ISD is located at the opening of the Houston Ship Channel, with major industrial and petrochemical operations nearby. That creates direct workforce opportunities for graduates, while also inspiring students who want to pursue college and careers in engineering and other STEM fields.

We also have proximity to high-tech anchors. The NASA Johnson Space Center is about 10 minutes away from our district. That proximity raises expectations, and it creates an impetus for us to ensure students are prepared for high-tech and highly educated roles. At the same time, for students who choose not to enter college right away, we have to provide the necessary skills and industry-based certifications in high school so they can enter the workforce ready.

Our program is robust. We have partnerships with local industry where engineers mentor students, health care professionals provide exposure and guidance, and students can see what the result looks like in a professional setting. Our focus has been on STEM education, making certain that artificial intelligence is part of the conversation, and ensuring industry-based certifications are available so students graduate with real momentum.

Being located near the Port of Houston and the ship channel, how do you work with local industries to align certifications, internships, and technical training with job demand?

Partnerships are the key. We have partnerships with San Jacinto College, the University of Houston Clear Lake, and with the Port of Houston. These relationships help us stay aligned with what is actually needed in the workforce, not just what sounds good in a curriculum guide.

We work to ensure that industries that are growing and need skilled professionals can see our school system as part of the pipeline. In practical terms, that means students graduating from high school with industry-based certifications, and in many cases graduating with an associate’s degree or significant college credit already completed through partnerships and dual-credit opportunities.

The Port of Houston has a marine-based program right in our backyard, and many of our students are funneled into those pathways. Welding is another strong example. The partnerships help us design programs where industry leaders tell us directly: here are the areas we need young people to pursue. Then we build exposure and training around those needs, and we invite partners into our schools to talk about the professions, expectations, and growth opportunities.

It also matters that students understand what these careers can mean for their future. Many of these jobs offer strong wages and long-term stability. When students can see a clear connection between what they are learning and what they can earn, and how that career supports family and community life, it becomes a powerful motivator and a real pathway.

Public school funding and school choice debates continue at the state level. How are those conversations affecting your financial planning and long-term stability?

Public school funding has always been an issue. Our funding generally comes from two sources: local funding and state funding. Local funding is not necessarily the biggest issue, but those dollars flow to the state and then are redistributed across Texas. With more than 5.4 million students in public education in Texas, districts are competing for limited resources, and the funding sources are tightening.

So we have to operate with discipline. We work to develop partnerships where industries and community partners are willing to support the district as well. But we also have to make difficult decisions and ask: what are the most important things we need to focus on?

For us, it comes back to the basics. Do we have the funds to ensure student safety? Do we have the funds to ensure teacher quality and professional development? Are our facilities clean, efficient, and well operated? Are we using our dollars for the primary purposes of public education, which is to serve the public?

There is a massive move to get back to fundamentals. Are our students graduating? Is literacy our foundation? Is numeracy our foundation? Are we staying true to the purpose of public education and operating efficiently and effectively so that every dollar supports student outcomes and long-term success?

What is working for you right now in attracting, developing, and keeping high-quality educators, especially in specialized fields?

We are a small district, and we focus a great deal on organizational culture. Culture will attract, but it will also retain. It is what makes people feel good about where they work and whether they see a future in a district.

First, you have to hire highly qualified teachers. But culture sustains that momentum. Culture is what retains phenomenal teachers and leaders who want to work here. Another advantage we can champion is smaller class sizes. Because we are a smaller district, we can support strong student-to-teacher ratios and create real relationships across campuses.

Those relationships matter. The relationships I have with teachers, the relationships my team has with teachers, and what principals build with teachers have to be authentic. That is how you hook young teachers and encourage them to stay and grow within your system.

Compensation is also part of it. You have to treat people well, and you have to pay them well enough to feel stable and valued. A student needs a teacher in front of them who feels supported and professionally fulfilled. When teachers feel their needs are met, they can give students what they need in the classroom.

Technology is evolving quickly, especially around AI and cybersecurity. How are you integrating new tools while protecting student learning and data security?

Cybersecurity is a major initiative for us. As we integrate new tools, including AI, we have to manage technology through an ethical framework. That means making certain privacy is protected and that the human side of teaching and learning is not diminished.

We have ongoing discussions, research, and professional development centered on how to implement systems responsibly. We want tools that enhance learning opportunities, help teachers do their jobs more effectively, and improve operational solutions. But we also have to be careful about how data is managed, how access is controlled, and how staff and students are protected from risk.

Thoughtful integration is not just about adopting technology. It is building the right policies, training, and safeguards so that technology serves education, not the other way around.

How do you evaluate whether upgrading learning spaces translates into stronger collaboration, communication skills, or workforce readiness?

Facilities matter because learning environments shape behavior and skill development. One of the most consistent messages I hear from leaders outside education is that students need soft skills. They need the ability to work in teams, communicate with others, and manage emotions in both small and large groups.

Our modernized classrooms support that. Long gone are the traditional rows of desks where students sit passively. Much of our work is done in small groups. The furniture we choose and the way we design learning spaces are intended to facilitate collaboration, critical thinking, and communication. When students practice those skills in school, they are better prepared to do that in the real world.

We are also mindful of the impact of personal devices on relationships. Technology has made people less willing to work with each other and, in some cases, less comfortable engaging in real conversation. Texas has moved in a direction where students are not allowed to have personal devices out during the instructional day. Students still have access to technology provided by the school for learning, but limiting personal device use helps us promote conversation, engagement, and relationship-building, which are essential for soft skills.

That focus aligns closely with what employers say they want: strong technical preparation paired with strong interpersonal skills. We are working to develop both.

Looking ahead, what outcomes would signal that La Porte ISD is successfully preparing students and supporting the broader Houston economy for the future?

First, we look at graduation rates. La Porte boasts graduation rates around 96% to 97%. We are proud of that. We always want to push closer to 100%, but those numbers reflect strong progress and consistency.

Second, we look at students graduating with credentials that create immediate opportunity. We have students who graduate with associate’s degrees through San Jacinto College. That happens in this district every year, and it means students enter college already ahead or they enter the workforce with a stronger foundation.

Third, we look at advanced coursework. Many students graduate with significant advanced placement credit, which puts them in a better position as they move into college and university environments. Even without an associate’s degree, students can enter with 15, 20, or 30 hours of AP courses completed.

We also measure success by workforce readiness. We want to graduate students who are ready to contribute into STEM fields and other high-demand fields. When companies contact us and say thank you for sending students who are prepared, that is a real signal that we are living our mission.

Ultimately, we want every student to have choices: to enter the workforce, enter college, or enter the military. But choice only matters if students have strong foundational skills. We want to make sure every student can read and write, is highly literate, and is prepared to be a productive citizen who can contribute to the regional and global economy that surrounds Houston.

Is there anything you would like to add that we did not cover?

I would add that literacy is our foundation. Literacy is the foundation of all academic learning. None of this happens if children do not learn to read and think critically at an early age.

STEM fields do not happen unless students are reading at a mastery level by third grade. That is what the research says, and that is my mantra as a leader. We focus on literacy in this district so students not only know how to read and write, but also how to think critically.

When a child can read, write, and think critically, you open the world to them. Learning becomes a byproduct of everything else they do, because it comes naturally when those fundamentals are in place. That is why our focus is literacy, literacy, literacy.