Jeff Klein stepped into his new role as superintendent of Columbia Public Schools on Tuesday with a mission to listen.
Introducing a 100-day entry plan he calls a “listening-and-learning” tour, Klein said he aims to use the time ahead to meet with teachers, staff, families and community members. That will help him shape the district’s future, based on the priorities of those he serves instead of his own vision.
“My responsibility is to implement the vision of this community for its schools,” Klein said during an interview with the Missourian on Wednesday.
“It’s not just about my perspective. It’s about listening, really listening, before we act.”
Klein officially began his new role July 1, after serving as the district’s chief academic officer for the past year. The Columbia school district is the fourth largest in the state. It enrolls 18,801 students and employs 2,890 staff members, according to the district website.
Klein now oversees the district’s 21 elementary schools, seven middle schools and four high schools.
He spent nearly two decades in the Park Hill School District near Kansas City and said it was Columbia’s mix of small-town connection and big-city opportunity that drew him in.
“Everyone knows each other here,” he said. “You can get anywhere in 15 minutes, and at the same time you have a major university, a vibrant arts scene and international diversity. That’s rare, and it’s powerful.”
When the position of chief academic officer opened, he saw it as the right opportunity in a place he already knew and liked.
Columbia Public Schools had always been a benchmark district, one that Park Hill often compared itself to.
“I was humbled to have the opportunity to come here as the chief academic officer, and I’m honored to serve now as superintendent,” he said.
His plans include strengthening teacher support, improving student behavior through trauma-informed practices like root-cause analysis and launching a five-year strategic plan with input from across the community.
Klein said the teacher recruitment and retention challenges the district is facing mirror national trends. Where once a single teaching position might attract a dozen strong applicants, some positions now struggle to get one.
Budget limitations compound the problem, especially when it comes to compensation.
“If I could wave a magic wand, teachers would be paid what they’re truly worth,” he said. “But in reality, we try to at least keep up with cost-of-living increases, and we continue to work with the union to do what’s fair and responsible.”
Klein said he has made a point of meeting directly with union leaders and individual educators to ask what they need.
“I don’t want to assume,” he said. “I want them to tell us.”
More than salary, teachers have told him they want autonomy in the classroom, support for managing student behaviors and training that helps them implement curriculum effectively.
Klein said he is also focused on improving student behavior through root-cause analysis. He noted that while most classrooms remain orderly, there has been a rise in disruptions — many linked to trauma students have experienced during and after the pandemic.
“A lot of our young people have big feelings,” he said. “Until they develop the social-emotional skills to manage those feelings, they’re not always in a place where they’re ready to learn.”
Columbia’s existing support infrastructure, including partnerships with organizations like Burrell Behavioral Health and other local nonprofits, is among the strongest he’s seen. The district employs school counselors and home-school communicators, and it benefits from a county sales tax that funds mental health services.
But Klein wants to better understand how those resources are being used and how they could be improved.
“I want to know what’s actually making it into our buildings and what difference it’s making,” he said. “And how we can enhance that.”
Longer term, Klein is prioritizing college and career readiness, not just in test scores but in helping every student form a meaningful vision for their own future.
“Students are motivated,” he said. “They may not always show it in the way we expect, but they want to succeed. Our job is to connect them to a future they believe in, so they understand why showing up matters.”
He believes that too many students struggle because they can’t imagine what their lives might look like at 25. Helping them define that picture, he said, can be the “hook” that keeps them engaged from elementary school through graduation.
Visibility, to Klein, is not symbolic. It is essential. He is committed to being physically present in schools and in the community and to communicating clearly about what the district is doing and why.
“Trust comes from showing up, building relationships, and being transparent,” he said. “That’s what I’m focusing on.”
