>> MARY: THERE'S A NEW COMMISSIONER AT THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.

WILLIE JETT SAYS HE'LL IMPROVE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND CLOSE OPPORTUNITY GAPS.

HE TAKES THE LEAD AS QUESTIONS ABOUT SCHOOL SAFETY AND GOVERNMENT GRANT OVERSIGHT HAVE BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF EDUCATION.

DEPARTMENT OF OWED INDICATION HAS BEEN IN THE FIRE, WHY DO YOU WANT THIS JOB AFTER ALL THE SCANDAL?

>> FOR ME, FIRST OFF, THANKS FOR THE INVITATION.

WHY WOULD I LIKE THIS JOB?

WHY WOULD I WANT THIS JOB OR WHY DID I SEEK IT?

FOR ME, IT'S ABOUT EDUCATION, ABOUT ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY FOR KIDS, ABOUT YOUNG PEOPLE.

I'VE ALWAYS EEN ABOUT THAT, I WAS BORN AND RAISED HAT WAY, AND SO IT'S OH HE-FOR ME IT'S ABOUT THAT -- I WANT TO SAY THE BROAD RANGE OF STUDENTS, WHETHER FROM GREATER MINNESOTA TO THE METRO AREA, THAT IMPACT SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT AND THAT'S -- I WON'T SAY IT'S IN MY DNA BUT KIND OF IN MY DNA.

>> Mary: WE'LL TALK ABOUT YOUR DNA IN A SECOND.

BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LOOKING FORWARD, YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE PAST BUT WHAT DO YOU DO MOVING FORWARD TO RESTORE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE LEGISLATURE AND THE BUB?

>> I GUESS ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS FOR ME IS THAT COMMITMENT.

YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC FUNDS AND SO IT'S THE COMMITMENT TO THE PROPER USE OF THOSE PUBLIC FUNDS AND AS THE COMMISSIONER OF MDE, I CAN ASSURE PEOPLE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO AND HAVE THAT HIGH ACCOUNTABILITY.

>> Mary: LET'S TALK ABOUT YOU, TALK ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUNDS.

I'M TOLD SPORTS WAS REALLY IMPORTANT IN WHO YOU ARE TODAY.

TELL US ABOUT THAT.

>> I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS IMPORTANT, LET'S SAY IT WAS STRESSED SO PLY MOTHER AND FATHER AT A YOUNG AIM, IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE WERE AS A FAMILY DOESN'T AT AND SO I HAD A CHANCE TO PARTICIPATE IN ALL DIFFERENT EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, WHETHER IT WAS BAND, THE CHOIR, WHETHER IT WAS PLAYING BASKETBALL OR PLAYING BASEBALL, AND MY MOTHER AND FATHER SAID, HEY, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE GOOD GRADES BUT THAT WOULD BE NICE WAY FOR OU TO BE ABLE TO PAY FOR SCHOOL AFTER YOU'RE DONE WITH HIGH SCHOOL.

SO LET'S JUST SAY, LET'S EXPEL AT THAT SO I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE DECENT ENOUGH AT THAT TO BE ABLE TO -- IT PAID MY WAY THROUGH COLLEGE AND -- >> Mary: I'M THINKING THAT'S NOT DECENT, I'M GOING TO INTERJECT, YOU DON'T GET COLLEGE PAID FOR IF YOU'RE JUST DESENT.

>> I WAS OKAY, WE'LL PHRASE IT LIKE THAT SO I GOT A CHANCE TO SEE THE COUNTRY AND SEE THE WORLD DOING THAT AND FOR ATHLETICS FOR ME, IT WAS ABOUT THAT TEAM, OF BEING PART OF A TEAM.

IT WAS ABOUT POUTING YOURSELF OUT THERE, IT WAS ABOUT CAMARADERIE AND IT JUST -- IT WAS ANOTHER THING THAT PROVIDED ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY FOR ME.

>> Mary: WHAT ABOUT LEADERSHIP, AS WELL, BECAUSE THEN YOU WENT ON TO COACHING.

>> YES, SO WENT FROM TEACHING -- WELL, WENT FROM PLAYING TO BECOMING A COACH AND DID THAT AT THE COLLEGE LEVEL AT CORNELL UNIVERSITY IN NEW YORK, AND UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH, AND WHEN I MOVED BACK TO MINNESOTA, I DID IT AT PARK CENTER HIGH CHOOL AND MINNEAPOLIS NORTH AND SO COACHING WAS ANOTHER EXTENSION OF TEACHING, AND SO THAT WAS ASKING I ENJOY DOING.

>> Mary: WHAT ABOUT THE CLASSROOM?

WHAT GOT YOU IN THAT CLASSROOM?

>> AND SO THAT'S AN INTERESTING QUESTION, AND SO I WAS A COLLEGE BASKETBALL COACH, THOUGHT THAT'S WHAT I WAS GOING TO DO.

MY FATHER PASSED AWAY HERE IN MINNESOTA AND HE WAS A TEACHER AT APPLE VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL AND MY MOM WAS AN ELEMENTARY SECRETARY AND GOT HER SOCIAL WORK DEGREE IN SCHOOLS SO I MOVED BLACK TO MINNESOTA.

MY SISTER WAS IN 9th GRADE AND BEING THE ELDEST IN THE FAMILY, IT WAS ABOUT MAKING SURE I TOOK CARE OF MY YOUNGER SISTER AND SO I BEGAN MY CAREER 30 YEARS AGO TEACHING AND COACHING IN THE ANOKA HENNEPIN DISTRICT, AND TEACHING WAS SOMETHING I WAS ALWAYS GOOD AT AND NATURALLY DECENT AT.

IT WAS NOT NECESSARILY A JOB TO ME, IT WAS SOMETHING I ENJOYED AND SO I JUST MADE A CAREER OUT HAVE IT.

>> Mary: AND HOW ABOUT EDUCATION AND HOW IT'S AT THE CORE OF MINNESOTA.

IT SOUNDS LIKE OUR FAMILY CAME TO MINNESOTA FOR EDUCATION, SOUNDS LIKE YOU MAYBE CAME BACK TO MINNESOTA.

SO HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR YOU TO CONTINUE THAT LEGACY OF THIS BEING THE PLACE PEOPLE MOVE TO, STAY IN, GROW THEIR FAMILIES BECAUSE OF EDUCATION.

>> IN GREAT QUESTION BECAUSE FOR ME, MY FAMILY DID MOVE FROM THE DEEP SOUTH TO MINNESOTA FOR THE ADVANTAGES OF MINNESOTA AND THE THINGS THAT WOULD AFFORD US TO BE ABLE TO DO AND FOR THEIR OWN KIDS.

AND SO I WAS JUST -- I'M SOMEBODY WHO HAD SO MANY GREAT MENTORS, SO MANY GREAT TEACHERS, PEOPLE THAT DEVELOPED THOSE RICHES WITH ME AND I THINK THAT HELPED ME TO EXCEL OR BE A DECENT STUDENT AND TO BE ABLE TO GO ON TO COLLEGE SO THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME BACK TO MINNESOTA AND TO BE PART OF THAT SYSTEM AND I'M NOT GOING TO SAY NECESSARILY GIVE BACK BUT TO BE PART OF SOMETHING THAT I'VE ALWAYS FELT WAS NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART AND NEAR AND DEAR TO MY FAMILY, AND SOMETHING I'VE ALWAYS BEEN PASSIONATE ABOUT WITH -- EVEN WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, I WAS -- EVEN WHEN I WAS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OR JUNIOR HIGH, I WAS A TUTOR FOR YOUNGER KIDS, A DIFFERENT WAY OF TEACHING.

WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, I TAUGHT AND COACHED GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM AND I WAS A TUTOR FOR, YOU KNOW, YOUNGER KIDS AND SO IT WAS JUST SOMETHING I'VE ALWAYS ENJOYED, SOMETHING THAT'S -- I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT AND SO COMING BACK TO MINNESOTA WAS SIMPLE.

>> Mary: WHAT ABOUT THE UGLY SIDE OF THIS MINNESOTA TRUTH AND THE THING THAT WE'VE ALL REALLY COME TO RECOGNIZE AND KNOW IS THIS OPPORTUNITY GAP, THIS ACHIEVEMENT GAP AND THAT HUGE DISPARITY.

LAWMAKERS HAVE TRIED AND TRIED TO GET AT THAT.

IT'S NOT DISAPPEARING YET.

WHEN CAN WE DO, DO YOU THINK?

>> AND SO HAT'S A COMPLEX QUESTION.

YES, WE WOULD ALL LIKE TO -- ALL OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE TO BE EXCELLING IN THE CLASSROOM AND WITH THAT AND SOME PEOPLE PLACED REAL HIGH VALUE ON JUST TEST SCORES AND IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT A TEST SCORE BECAUSE THAT'S ONE MEASURE IN TIME.

TO GET TO THE ROOT OF THAT, IF SOMEBODY ACTUALLY SOLVED THAT AND KNEW THE EXACT ANSWER TO THAT, THEY WOULD BE TEACHING THAT ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND ACROSS THE WORLD.

BUT WHAT I WOULD SAY TO THAT IS, FIRST AND FOREMOST, A STUDENT YOU NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR BASIC NEEDS, FOOD, SHELTER.

>> Mary: WHICH IS HAPPENING.

>> YES, IT IS.

>> Mary: MEALS FOR ALL, THAT'S PART OF IT.

>> THAT'S PART OF MY REASONING FOR -- YOU CAN ASK ME LATER, THAT'S PART OF MY REASONING FOR WANTING THE JOB BUT IN TERMS OF JUST THE OPPORTUNITY GAP FOR THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP, WHEN YOU TAKE CARE OF THE BASIC NEEDS, THEN YOU NEED TO TAKE CARE OF RELATIONSHIPS WITH -- THINK -- I ALWAYS THINK WHEN WE WERE IN SCHOOL, WE HAD THAT ADULT, THAT TRUSTED RELATIONSHIP, THAT MENTOR, HAT PERSON THAT HELPED US TO FIGURE OUT SOMETHING THAT WE WERE GOOD AT, OUR VIRTUEOSITY, NOW I WANTED TO E IN THE CLASSROOM AND SHOW THAT TEACHER R MENTOR THAT I COULD DO HIS, EXCEL AT THAT.

I THINK THAT'S SOME OF THE BEGINNING OF THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP, THINGS THAT WE NEED TO CONCENTRATE ON.

AND WE DO HAVE TO GET BACK TO THE -- I WON'T SAY THE BASICS BUT PEOPLE WANT US TO CONCENTRATE ON READING, WRITING -- >> Mary: REPUBLICANS ROLLED OUT A LITERACY LAN TODAY AND THEY'RE SAYING THAT HAS TO E FUNDAMENTAL.

IS THAT A BIPARTISAN AGREEMENT?

>> TO ME IT'S BIPARTISAN BECAUSE THAT'S AT THE ROOT OF BEING ABLE TO LEARN, BEING ABLE TO READ, BEING ABLE TO DO MATH AND SO I THINK WE ALL WANT WHAT'S BEST, DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU'RE REPUBLICAN, DEMOCRAT, WE ALL WANT OUR STUDENTS TO EXCEL AND BE THRIVING.

>> Mary: DOES IT HELP TO WORK FOR A TEACHER?

>> SO THERE IT IS.

[Laughter] >> SO PART OF THE DRAW FOR THAT POSITION FOR ME, IT'S THE GOVERNOR IS A FORMER TEACHER, THE FIRST LADY IS IN ED