School & District Management

Terry Grier Tapped as Houston Superintendent

By Dakarai I. Aarons — August 21, 2009 1 min read
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After just one full academic year in sunny San Diego, Terry Grier is headed deep into the heart of Texas.
Grier, who took over the SoCal district in January 2008, had been experiencing some heartburn in his clashes with the school board and with the teachers’ union, whose president said he lacks focus when it comes to implementing initiatives.

The Houston Independent School District has tapped the veteran school leader as its new superintendent. He’s replacing Abelardo Saavedra, who is retiring at the end of this month.

Doesn’t look like the local teachers’ union is exactly rolling out the red carpet for Grier’s arrival. Check out this quote from Houston Federation of Teachers President Gayle Fallon in the Houston Chronicle:

I don't know the man, and we give every superintendent a chance to establish his own relationship with us,” she said. “It's up to a superintendent to determine whether they want a positive relationship or whether they want to fight.”

For more reaction, see the Chronicle’s Jason Spencer’s excellent blog post.

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A version of this news article first appeared in the District Dossier blog.