Terry Grier to San Diego
Posted by ryan on January 20, 2008
From the News & Record,
“Fresh off one of his most successful years as Guilford County Schools superintendent, Terry Grier flew to San Diego and accepted a job as that city’s new schools superintendent.
In doing so, Grier faces perhaps his most challenging job ever: raising the performance in a school system where a large number of students are poor and speak English as a second language.
Grier, 57, spent eight years here honing his reputation as an educational innovator. He developed a roster of initiatives that bedeviled some and delighted others.
“He seems to have both the ability to reach people and talk to people and to bring out the best in people, and at the same time hold them accountable,” said San Diego school board Chairwoman Katherine Nakamura. “He has an incredible work ethic.”
Grier will be well-rewarded in San Diego. He will earn a base salary of $269,000 a year and was offered a three-year contract, which begins July 1.
San Diego will also pay him $1,000 a day for each day he works for that board before July 1.
Grier accepted the job in person at a special school board meeting that began at 4 p.m. EST. Immediately after the meeting, parents, students, teachers and some of the principals he will supervise buttonholed him and began questioning him on the spot. Back in Greensboro, school officials convened a brief meeting at the Eugene Street central office to thank Grier for his service.
“We appreciate his efforts to improve the lives of our students,” said Alan Duncan, chairman of the Guilford Board of Education.”
More here.
