After graduation, Jonathon Randle ’09 aspired to play professional football. The Kinesiology major trained for the Combine as a receiver and was even invited by a few NFL teams to try out. That eventually led him into the fitness industry. In 2013, Randle was settled back in his hometown
of Prairie View, Texas, managing a local L.A. Fitness.
One day, a member of his community encouraged him to run for city council. Having always been involved with his community and church, Randle was flattered, but hesitant. Never in a million years did he think he would serve in public office.
Not only was Randle named Humanitarian of the Year by Prairie View A&M University in 2018, but he also served as a Prairie View city councilman for 10 years. Wanting to mentor young people in his community, he realized the only way to do that was to work in schools.
So, he left his lucrative job as a personal trainer and became an in-school suspension (ISS) aide in Hempstead. He was then hired on at Waller High School as a paraprofessional, and eventually got a full-time job teaching PE and coaching football, basketball, and track.
In 2020, he transitioned from the classroom to administration at Bryan Rudder High School, and is now serving as the assistant principal at Arlington High School. He is currently pursuing his doctorate and superintendent certification at Texas A&M Commerce.
“I want to impact how kids learn and create generational change,” he said. “Being a black male in education is rare, and being a black male administrator is even rarer. I feel a responsibility to be that mentor figure and someone who creates expectations for the kids, but also someone who shows them immense love. We should remember that when we tell kids to follow their dreams, they may work and live in certain communities where there is poverty. Those kids may not necessarily have a dream. My role is to be the artist that helps them draw the dream and then teaches them how to get there.”
He also sees how the superintendent role is very close to being an elected official, given the impact it can have on so many other people.
“Your job is to recognize the issues your district is facing and work to make the necessary changes,” he said. “Being a minority at TLU taught me how to be comfortable in rooms where I wasn’t around people who come from a similar background. My experience as a student-athlete taught me how to work hard and be accountable. I was taught to be an example on campus, and that everything you do is underscored. I learned not to run from the responsibility but embrace it.”
During his third year on city council, the death of 28-year-old Sandra Bland occurred. Bland was an African American woman who was found hanged in a jail cell in Waller County—the county Randle served—on July 13, 2015, three days after being arrested during a traffic stop. Officials found her death to be a suicide.
“It was a very difficult time for our community, but it made me who I am and it’s where I really found my voice,” he said. “We kept the conversation going about police brutality and the historical impact of this incident. I’m very proud that we were the first municipality to openly side with a victim of
police brutality and one of the first to ban chokeholds and no-knock warrants. I had to decide which side of history I wanted to be on.”
In one of his last initiatives on city council, Randle facilitated the passing of an $8 million bond.
“I knew my time in office wasn’t going to be forever, but I wanted to put the city in a position to grow and evolve past me,” he said. “I’m very passionate about advocating for marginalized communities and for those who can’t speak or can’t be heard. I was blessed to earn a seat at certain tables, and it was my responsibility to represent those who put me at that table. I’m taking what I learned and applying it to my role as an educator and administrator, only now I’m representing our youth.”