Terry Grier

Terry B. Grier is a former superintendent of the Houston Independent School District (HISD), the largest school district in the State of Texas, as well as San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) and Guilford County Schools.

Early life He was born into a low income family, in which members were poorly educated, in Fairmont, North Carolina. He was the first member of his family to attend university and received his PhD from Vanderbilt University. Mimi Swartz of Texas Monthly stated that his PhD "was no doubt a source of pride, an indication of just how far he had come."

Career In a twenty-five year span, Grier worked for eight different school districts. He initially served as an athletic coach and later as a teacher. He first became a school superintendent at age 34. Once the SDUSD board ended supporting Grier, he looked for other employment opportunities. Grier's wife saw promotional material for HISD and suggested going to that district, which had two times the budget and overall size of the previous one. HISD board members wanted to improve the district's perceived standing - among the best of urban districts but still below average overall - without installing too much radical change, and they felt that a stronger personality was needed to check Gayle Fallon, the head of the Houston Federation of Teachers. The business networks of Houston and the HISD board were in favor of Grier. Laura Isensee of Houston Public Media stated that the length of Grier's term outlasted the three-year average for a superintendent of a large school district.