Jack M. Jose

Jack's first teaching job came in 1992. Fresh out of college, he had been serving as a sub in multiple school districts before he was hired to teach English as a Second Language in the Hilliard City Schools. Working at five different buildings during the day, working on an ESL certificate at OSU in the evenings, and waiting tables on the weekend, he became accustomed to hard work.

He moved to Cincinnati the following year, again starting as a building sub but then getting hired at Western Hills high school, where he had done his student teaching.

The following year he was hired at Hughes Center High School, where he taught English for 5 years. While teaching English he earned his Masters degree in Curriculum and Instruction and also earned National Board Certification in Early Adolescent English / Language Arts. Soon he was hired by his peers to be the Paideia Program Facilitator, a position that functioned as an Assistant Principal. In this role he designed the College and Careers course that helped hundreds of Hughes Paideia graduates find their path in life after high school, whether that was a career or a two- or four-year college experience.

In 2008 Jack left Hughes to teach English at Westside Montessori High School, a new Cincinnati Public School. The next year he was selected by the LSDMC to become Principal.

In his nine years as principal, the school more than doubled in size, graduated its first 8 classes of seniors, changed its name to Gamble Montessori High School, and moved into a new building on the west side of town. Under his leadership the school, once in the second-lowest academic rating, earned an Excellent rating - the highest available in the state of Ohio at the time.

But it was the spirit of the student, and not their academic scores, that drove Jack. He continued to work to build a culture of inclusion, optimism, and opportunity for students, teachers, and the community.

The book Angels and Superheroes: Compassionate Educators in an Era of School Accountability is the product of this work with Krista Taylor. Krista was an intervention specialist and team leader at Gamble. The book describes how they worked with the dedicated staff and parents at Gamble to create a welcoming, nurturing community where risk-taking was welcome but compassion was required and taught.