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Q & A With New Orleans’ Security Chief

After Paul G. Vallas was named superintendent of New Orleans’ Recovery School District, he renegotiated a $20 million contract with a Texas-based security firm and tapped Eddie Compass, the well-known former superintendent of police in New Orleans to oversee safety and security for the state-run district. Mr. Compass, who became one of the city’s best-known public figures in the days after Hurricane Katrina as he became emotional in interviews on national television, was forced to resign his post a month after the storm. He had started his own security-consulting business when he got the call this past August about working for the school system. He sat down recently with Education Week to talk about his new job and his approach to school security.

Q: Tell us how you ended up becoming the director for security and safety for the Recovery School District.

A: I had just gotten a contract with the city to do security for the department of sewerage and water and had some things going also with the hotel industry. But around Aug. 20, I got a call from a friend who knew Mr. Vallas. My friend told me that Mr. Vallas had heard about me and wanted to talk to me about doing security for the RSD. I agreed to go talk to Mr. Vallas. He met me in the hallway; we didn't even sit down. And he told me, “Look, I don't have time to beat around the bush. We want you to take this job. What are you going to do? We don't have time to wait.” He said to me, “You seem to care about the kids in this city, so what could be more important than saving the lives of kids?” I shook his hand and told him to give me a week to get my affairs in order. I was going to be taking a pay cut and working way more hours, but Mr. Vallas has so much passion and commitment to my city. How can I have less than that when I grew up here? I wanted to...