▁he ▁had ▁come ." ▁ ▁Career ▁In ▁a ▁twenty - five ▁year ▁span , ▁G rier ▁worked ▁for ▁eight ▁different ▁school ▁districts . ▁He ▁initially ▁served ▁as ▁an ▁athlet ic ▁coach ▁and ▁later ▁as ▁a ▁teacher . ▁He ▁first ▁became ▁a ▁school ▁super int endent ▁at ▁age ▁ 3 4 . ▁ ▁G rier ▁served ▁as ▁the ▁super int endent ▁of ▁Gu il ford ▁County ▁School s ▁for ▁fewer ▁than ▁eight ▁years . ▁Sw art z ▁stated ▁that ▁this ▁length ▁of ▁service ▁was ▁" a ▁lifetime ▁in ▁the ▁ann als ▁of ▁super int end ents " ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁ ▁He ▁served ▁as ▁the ▁super int endent ▁of ▁San ▁Diego ▁US D ▁for ▁one ▁and ▁one ▁half ▁years ; ▁Sw art z ▁described ▁his ▁SD US D ▁term ▁as ▁" comb ative ". ▁Once ▁the ▁SD US D ▁board ▁ended ▁supporting ▁G rier , ▁he ▁looked ▁for ▁other ▁employ ment ▁opportun ities . ▁ ▁Houston ▁Independent ▁School ▁District ▁G rier , ▁who ▁arrived ▁in ▁Houston ▁in ▁August ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁began ▁his ▁term ▁at ▁H IS D ▁after ▁all ▁members ▁of ▁that ▁district ' s ▁board ▁voted ▁to ▁h ire ▁him ▁in ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁G rier ' s ▁wife ▁saw ▁prom ot ional ▁material ▁for ▁H IS D ▁and ▁suggested ▁going ▁to ▁that ▁district , ▁which ▁had ▁two ▁times ▁the ▁budget ▁and ▁overall ▁size ▁of ▁the ▁previous ▁one . ▁H IS D ▁board ▁members ▁wanted ▁to ▁improve ▁the ▁district ' s ▁perce