Grier shuffles his top staff
Friday, September 13, 2013
Three weeks into the school year, HISD Superintendent Terry Grier has changed the responsibilities of some of his top staff. Below is his memo.
To those in the trenches, let us know if you notice any changes.
Dear HISD team member,With the start of the school year well underway and our new Chief Academic Officer, Daniel Gohl, joining the HISD team shortly, I’m shifting some resources at the cabinet level to ensure that the right people are where they need to be to best serve the district and its students, principals and teachers.Listening to feedback from the field, I’m moving Drew Houlihan [the chief of major projects] to the role of Chief School Support Officer. In addition to his current responsibilities and areas of control, all Chief School Officers will now report directly to him. With a proven track record of building strong teams, Drew is well suited to this role of serving and supporting the district’s front line.Mark Smith, who currently holds this role, will move to the newly created role of Chief Student Support Officer, which will include Drop-out Prevention, Student Support Services, and Athletic Programs. The establishment of this new area – singularly focused on student needs and student advocacy – aligns well with the district’s commitment to providing all of our students the support they need to make the most of their education and the many opportunities that HISD provides.Leveraging Daniel Gohl’s strong background in educational analytics and emphasizing the district’s focus on academic rigor and accountability, the role of Chief Academic Officer will be expanded to include Professional Support and Development, EMERGE, Research and Accountability, College and Career Readiness, and Assessment.Furthermore, Michele Pola will move to the newly created role of Chief Business/Community Relations Officer, managing the areas of Board Services, Government Relations, and Strategic Partnerships. There are no plans at this time to fill the Chief of Staff role that Michele occupied.Lastly, a few other minor changes are planned to leverage natural synergies – the district’s Print Shop will move to the Office of Information Technology, Family and Community Engagement (FACE) will move to the Office of Communications, and External Funding will move to the Office of Chief Financial Officer.Again, these changes are designed to better leverage the strengths of team members and better serve the district. For your reference, attached are organizational charts that provide additional detail.Please let me know if you have any questions.