ived ▁standing ▁- ▁among ▁the ▁best ▁of ▁urban ▁districts ▁but ▁still ▁below ▁average ▁overall ▁- ▁without ▁installing ▁too ▁much ▁radical ▁change , ▁and ▁they ▁felt ▁that ▁a ▁stronger ▁person ality ▁was ▁needed ▁to ▁check ▁Gay le ▁Fall on , ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁Houston ▁Federation ▁of ▁Te ach ers . ▁ ▁While ▁the ▁previous ▁super int endent , ▁Ab el ardo ▁Sa aved ra , ▁decent ral ized ▁management ▁at ▁H IS D , ▁G rier ▁re - central ized ▁it . ▁G rier ▁established ▁the ▁Apol lo ▁ 2 0 ▁program , ▁using ▁a ▁more ▁rig orous ▁curr icul um ▁at ▁schools ▁known ▁for ▁having ▁low ▁test ▁scores . ▁Sw art z ▁character ized ▁Apol lo ▁ 2 0 ▁as ▁being ▁similar ▁to ▁that ▁of ▁K IP P , ▁a ▁char ter ▁school ▁network . ▁Sw art z ▁explained ▁that ▁rising ▁super int end ents ▁tend ▁to ▁en act ▁innov ative ▁programs ▁as ▁those ▁who ▁are ▁perce ived ▁as ▁doing ▁too ▁little ▁are ▁often ▁fired , ▁and ▁that ▁for ▁G rier ▁Apol lo ▁ 2 0 ▁serves ▁as ▁his ▁" nov el ▁program ▁that ▁attract s ▁attention ▁and ▁helps ▁them ▁advance ▁when ▁the ▁end ▁comes , ▁as ▁it ▁in ev it ably ▁does ." ▁G rier ▁also ▁commission ed ▁a ▁study ▁that ▁concluded ▁that ▁magnet ▁school ▁programs ▁- ▁previously ▁seen ▁as ▁being ▁highly ▁successful ▁in ▁H IS D ▁- ▁should ▁be ▁sever ely ▁cur ta iled . ▁ ▁Sw art z ▁stated ▁that ▁initially ▁G rier , ▁who ▁was ▁perce ived ▁as