Tom Glenn — Leander

Tom Glenn — Leander

Written by Katherine Kennedy Saturday, 07 April 2007

When speaking of the success of Leander ISD, Superintendent Tom Glenn never takes credit. He recognizes the people who work for him as the true success-makers for the district.

“I am proud to have led a set of people who know what they are doing, go about their jobs and improve on them everyday to try to make this a better place for children to learn,” Glenn said. “I have had the good fortune of working with fine board members in our community and was able to listen to them to make a difference.”

He moved from College Station almost 30 years ago to start his career with LISD and was appointed superintendent nearly a decade later. When he became superintendent, the district was in danger of losing its accreditation. Today, Glenn acknowledges that it is a place people choose for their children’s education.

“In the past 20 years, we have built lots of campuses, changed many programs and developed a way of going about improving education, ourselves and our system,” Glenn said.

Dealing with continuous growth has remained an issue throughout Glenn’s time as superintendent. He was able to work with the community in developing and staffing new campuses and passing bonds. All LISD schools except one have been either constructed or renovated since Glenn was named superintendent. In school construction bonds, $807 million was approved by voters in five bond elections in the last twelve years.

“We introduced and developed the continuous improvement philosophy which looks at the organization and the way we go about things as a system and trying to improve ourselves everyday,” Glenn said. “This is one of numerous programs that have changed the reputation of our district.”

Glenn says there has been a significant gain in educational achievements in the district that can be seen by the number of students enrolled in advanced classes and the closing of the gap between low socio-economic status and academic performance.

“I am proud of what has occurred in the past 20 years. I am proud of our buildings; they are moderate, up to date, well-kept and will last,” Glenn said. “We have introduced all kinds of programs that have helped make learning better, like the 10 ethical principles and creating a world-class curriculum.”

Glenn pays tribute to his boards, administration staff, teachers, cafeteria staff and custodians involved in the everyday process of improving LISD.

“Picking the right people, laying out the vision, establishing the parameters for what to accomplish and guiding them to get things done was the most important part of my superintendency,” Glenn said.

Glenn plans to continue living in Leander after he retires in December.

“This is an interesting and enjoyable place to be. The community is full of great people who have valued education and it shows,” Glenn said. “My grandkids will be a part of LISD, and I plan to stay involved in the district.”

Key Accomplishments

• Development of Leander ISD’s Guiding Documents
• Graduate Profile for each LISD graduate
• Established 10 Ethical Principles
• Leander ISD Learning Model
• The Leander Way
• Developed a reputation for excellence while dealing with record-setting growth