His Kitchen's as Hot as the Office

School Administrator, April, 1998 by Jay P. Goldman

Whenever Jude Theriot needs a reminder of the unusual double life he leads, he doesn't need to look far. Stashed away in his office out of public view are a pair of curiosities--an editorial cartoon from the local newspaper that caricatures him as "Chef Superintendent" and a bronzed frying pan, his memento for earning the "most panned" award from a local advertising club.

Theriot is the superintendent of the 32,500-student Calcasieu Parish Schools based in Lake Charles, La., the third largest district in the state. To some, he may be better known by his second calling, that of renowned Cajun chef.

"I've molded these two things together my entire career," he says.

Six months into his first teaching position, Theriot took a part-time kitchen job to supplement his meager pay. By the time he was 25, he was general manager and executive chef of LeChampignon Restaurant in Lake Charles. All the while his food career was flourishing, Theriot was moving up the career ladder in the Calcasieu system.

After a nine-year stint as assistant superintendent for middle schools, he was appointed the district's superintendent in 1995. He admits the way the superintendency appeared to him from the outside did not at all match the reality.

"I had no idea what I was getting into," he says.

Theriot says he's disappointed foremost by how little he gets to deal with instructional affairs these days, noting, "So many issues are tugging at you."

His crash-course on the superintendency also was flavored by that ever-present bugaboo: dealing with the press. He's still licking his wounds from a point he made during a meeting with parents a few years ago about family income serving as the strongest predictor of a student's academic success. The comment was widely misinterpreted, and Theriot took some shots on the editorial pages.

Fortunately, public speaking remains one of his strongest suits, and at 278 pounds (he once shot up to 380), he makes a formidable presence at the microphone. Former Calcasieu School Board President Mike Canaday says Theriot isn't afraid to jump into a fray.

"If he feels strongly, he'll stand up to the board and completely turn them around," Canaday says. "He'll steer the board, usually backed by solid facts."

Bob Davidson, community relations manager for the local Citgo Petroleum plant, marvels at the first time he heard the superintendent speak at a Partners in Education breakfast for 30 minutes without notes. "I asked him later how he does it and he said, 'I do my best speaking when I speak from my heart.' I've seen him do that so many times."

For the last four years, the superintendent has had a weekly TV series on healthy cooking tips called "Health Source." The show runs in early morning on the local NBC affiliate.

His standing in the culinary field is impressive. He is one of only 200 individuals to hold certified culinary professional status, and he currently serves as chairman of the International Association of Culinary Professionals Foundation. This lets him hobnob with the world's best chefs, including Julia Child, whom he considers an idol.

But since assuming the superintendent's post, Theriot has become more careful about separating his two disparate lives. "I make sure the public knows that I spend no working hours in the cooking area," he admits. That hasn't prevented political cartoonists from caricaturing him in print. One created a buffoonish figure dubbed "Chef Superintendent" that showed Theriot holding a spatula in one hand and a pair of handcuffs in the other. (He's been known for his tough stance on student discipline.)

In January, U.S. News and World Report featured him in its coverage of Americans' healthier eating habits, including a photo of him in frill Southern chef regalia surrounded by an overflowing pan of crawfish and other Cajun cuisine.

The coverage sparked a round of unexpected letters from superintendent colleagues around the country. Theriot says he hopes to meet some of them when AASA's National Conference on Education comes to New Orleans next February where he just might deliver one of his favorite presentations to educator audiences: "Fry Your Stress: A Cooking Course to Help You Cook and Eat Your Stress Away."

Jay Goldman is the editor of The School Administrator. E-Email: igoldman@aasa.org

BIO STATS:

JUDE THERIOT

Currently: superintendent, Calcasieu Parish Schools, Lake Charles, La.

Earlier: Executive chef at three restaurants in Texas and Louisiana

Age: 50

Greatest Influence on Career: Lee Fontenot, my first principal as a public school teacher, served as my mentor, teaching me leadership and administrative skills.

Best Professional Day: After a year of much politicking while an acting middle school principal, I was named permanent principal, a genuine surprise.

Books at Bedside: The Zone by Barry Sears, Matarese Countdown by Robert Ludlum, Dixie City Jam by James Lee Burke

Biggest Blooper: After making the case that the school system needed enormous capital improvements, I pursued a $250 million sales tax in the midst of a tax revolt.