He was born and raised in Miami. He now wants to lead his hometown school district

Jacob Oliva longs to return to his hometown to run the school district that inspired him to become a teacher.

Music, math and English teachers at Southwood Middle School and Killian Senior High were role models who “taught me to love that feeling of the light bulb turning on inside your head,” he said.

Oliva, 47, is one of three finalists for the job of Miami-Dade County Public Schools superintendent. He will discuss his qualifications and platform during an interview Monday with school board members in a 2 p.m. public meeting. His goal is to build on the legacy of outgoing superintendent Alberto Carvalho while seeking innovations in teaching and learning for the nation’s fourth-largest school district.

Reversing learning losses a top goal

Oliva’s top immediate priority is to stem and reverse learning losses caused by the disruptions of the coronavirus pandemic, he said.

“There is no instant cure for overcoming those losses. We need to develop a multi-year plan,” he said.

Student and employee health is paramount as the pandemic enters its third year, said Oliva, who is senior chancellor of the Florida Department of Education, overseeing K-12 public schools. Oliva has been an advocate of banning mask mandates in his role as deputy to Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran, an ally of Gov. Ron DeSantis who has frequently clashed with and sought penalization of local school districts on mask and quarantine policies.

Oliva has been the face of the department when defending DeSantis’ masking and parental rights policies in schools. Carvalho has defied the state, requiring mask mandates during the height of the pandemic, citing advice from the district’s medical task force.

‘Miami-Dade is getting it right’

Oliva said he would not alter Miami-Dade’s rules.

“The guidance from the state is to meet with your local health department and implement what works best for your community,” he said. “I know Superintendent Carvalho took all those meetings seriously and made informed decisions. Miami-Dade’s school board has laid out a plan for this school year and we need to execute that plan. We don’t need to create chaos by changing it and I would not recommend changing it.”

In fact, Oliva said he has no desire to fix what isn’t broken in Miami-Dade’s 482 schools with 334,400 students and 17,267 teachers.

“From my perspective in Tallahassee, it’s important that Miami-Dade is getting it right and continues to excel because as the largest district all other districts look to Miami-Dade as an example, as a leader,” he said.

Oliva has worked nearly five years for the state as a policymaker, but he is not detached from the day-to-day issues facing schools, he said.

“I’m the primary conduit between the state and the districts,” he said. “I have every single superintendent on speed dial.”

Cleared in tainted bid process

Oliva emerged from a controversy affecting one of the Florida’s smallest and poorest districts with “my name exonerated” by the inspector general’s report on a bidding process tainted by accusations of favoritism. In bids for a contract to manage the Jefferson County school district’s transition from private charter school company control back to independence, Oliva’s name appeared along with that of two other state education officials on a proposal from a private consulting company.

Those officials were forced to resign by Corcoran but Oliva was cleared of wrongdoing.

“The whole situation was unfortunate,” Oliva said. “It was supposed to be all about supporting the students of Jefferson County. When looking at external partners, my name was tied in by another employee but I was clear from the beginning I did not want to be involved. The bid process did not meet fidelity standards and we halted it and made sure we held people accountable. And I am no longer associated with that company.”

Oliva spent 17 years working in Flagler County on Florida’s east coast as a teacher of students with disabilities, principal of an elementary school and high school, assistant superintendent and superintendent of a district with 15 schools, 13,000 students and 2,500 teachers.

‘Innovative leader’

“Jacob was the most innovative leader we’ve ever had,” said Flagler school board chair Trent Tucker. “He developed a classroom-to-careers program that’s been transformative. We have a fire academy and graduates go right into careers as firefighters and paramedics. He got businesses to come in and students can learn hands-on about a variety of career options. We were the first district in the state to provide a digital device to every student. He raised achievement standards. He streamlined our organizational chart.

“Jacob will selflessly jump in on any problem. I see his current job as political and policy-oriented, but he’s very strong as a consensus builder. All staff and the board bought into what he wanted to accomplish.”

Product of Miami-Dade Schools

Oliva grew up in Perrine and Richmond Heights. His father is a native of Cuba.

“I first thought about becoming a teacher in fourth grade,” he said. “There’s no question teachers make a difference in students’ lives every day.”

He played percussion in Killian’s marching band. After graduating in 1992, he went to work alongside his father in the construction business. After Hurricane Andrew hit in August of that year, the work intensified.

“I’m from a humble family and college was not part of our conversations. It was an unrealistic dream,” he said. “Post-Andrew, we had to rebuild South Florida. But after a couple years I got an opportunity to go to Flagler College and study education.”

Oliva worked his way through school as a Pizza Hut manager. He did his student teaching stint at Wadsworth Elementary in Palm Coast, got his first teaching job there and eventually became principal of the school.

“I’ve always had a special place in my heart for students who need extra help. I’m a fan of the underdog,” he said. “I’d like to finish my career back in the classroom teaching students with disabilities.”

At Flagler-Palm Coast High, he was known for being in the hallways and at sports events, interacting with students.

“Principal is one of the toughest jobs in education but the most fun,” he said. “From the time the bell rang at 7 a.m. to when the stadium lights went off at 10 p.m. — it was a lifestyle.”

Oliva is father of two and an avid fisherman.

“We are a family of bowlers,” he said, noting that his daughter, a high school senior, is among the top bowlers in her division.

Recruited by former education commissioner Pam Stewart, Oliva left Flagler to work for the state in 2017.

“She encouraged me to learn how policy is made and understand the landscape of Florida,” he said. “I think that’s given me a unique lens. I’ve been in classrooms in every district. I’ve seen innovation at the highest levels.”

Miami Herald Staff Writer Ana Ceballos contributed to this report.

This story was originally published January 23, 2022 at 6:00 AM.