The school board unanimously voted to hire current The Woodlands High School Principal Dr. Ted Landry as the Conroe ISD interim superintendent out of four other finalists during the special meeting May 20. Landry started Monday, June 2.

“I was honored and humbled to be their selection,” Landry said in an email. “To be able to serve our district in this capacity is a dream come true for me. All I could think about was how grateful I am to be in this role.”

The current superintendent of five years, Dr. Curtis Null, announced his departure after the Lake Travis ISD board chose him as the sole finalist in their search for a superintendent May 1. Null’s last day was May 30.

“Conroe ISD will always hold a special place in my heart,” Null stated in a Conroe ISD press release. “I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve here. I couldn’t be prouder of the dedication and hard work demonstrated by our students, teachers, and staff each and every day. I have worked with amazing people that have helped me learn and grow daily, and I know the friendships I have made here will last a lifetime.”

As an interim, Landry will serve until the board elects a permanent superintendent. His duties will mirror that of a full-time superintendent, consisting of budget management, staff hiring, addressing district issues and overseeing principal productivity.

“I look forward to the positive impact his leadership will have across all of our schools in Conroe ISD,” Trustee Marianne Horton wrote in a post on Facebook.

During the May 29 meeting, the board voted 5-2 to select the Texans for Excellence in Education to run their search for permanent superintendent. Landry said he would be honored to be the permanent superintendent, but that will rely on TEE’s recommendation and the board.

“After a thorough review, the Board is pleased to announce the selection of Texans for Excellence in Education to lead our superintendent search,” the board said in a joint statement posted on The Woodlands Online and Hello Woodlands. “Their strong commitment to stakeholder engagement, coupled with the team’s specialized expertise, makes them uniquely qualified to guide this critical process. We look forward to a collaborative and transparent search that reflects the values and priorities of our community.”

Trustees Melissa Semmler and Horton voted against TEE, and both wrote in Facebook posts that they did not authorize the joint statement to speak on their behalf.

Who is Landry?

Born and raised in Jeanerette, Louisiana, Landry’s passion for education started during his junior year at Jeanerette Senior High School with his AP World History teacher Mr. Guillot.

“We talk about it now as adults, those of us who had him as students — it was like Netflix in the ’80s,” Landry said in a 2018 interview with the Houston Chronicle. “He would tell stories and had a way of bringing them to life that really made them engaging, and then talk about the significance of why it was important for us to know that, and how that could influence future generations. He really did a nice job of that, and I wanted to do that for others as well.”

To fund his tuition at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Landry and his older brother entered the Marine Corps together at age 18, serving in the honor platoon.

“The Marine Corps was an opportunity for growth for me,” Landry said. “I did not come from a wealthy family, so some of it was logistics, to help financially with college. The other part was out of service to the country. (Me and my family are) very patriotic people, so serving my country was a big deal.”

Landry graduated in 1998 with a master’s degree in counseling psychology, before moving to Texas in 2000 with his wife. Landry then earned his doctorate in 2012 at the University of Houston in professional education while working as the Humble ISD assistant superintendent.

From there, he worked as the principal at Kingwood High School for six years followed by another seven years at The Woodlands High School.

“I have treasured my time at The Woodlands High School,” Landry said, “and look forward to continuing to serve the Conroe ISD community.”

On March 24, Humble ISD announced Landry was hired as the deputy superintendent starting June. Landry said that Conroe and Humble ISD are actively discussing how to handle his new job.

“I will do my very best to continue to uphold the values of our District and communities and uphold our motto of ‘All Means All!’” Landry said.