Bruce Gearing, Ed.D. has served as the Superintendent of Leander ISD since September 2019. The district stretches across almost 200 square miles, dedicated to knowing and appreciating each of its more than 42,000 students across 48 campuses.
In 2022, the district created a five-year strategic plan to increase student ownership of deeper learning. The district passed a Voter Approval Tax Rate Election (VATRE) in 2022 and a Bond Election in 2023. LISD was named the College Board Advanced Placement Large District of the Year for increasing participation and improving scores thus increasing access to rigorous courses for students in 2024. .
Before his time at Leander ISD, he was named Region 13 Superintendent of the Year and a State Finalist for Texas Superintendent of the Year and served as the Dripping Springs ISD superintendent since February 2012. During his tenure, he oversaw a fast-growth district, growing by approximately 50 percent, while supporting students with state and national success in academics, arts, and athletics.
Before moving to Dripping Springs, Gearing served as superintendent of Marshall ISD from 2009-2012, three years as an assistant superintendent at Mount Pleasant ISD, one year as a junior high principal, and four years as an elementary principal. A native of South Africa, Gearing started his career teaching science and math at the high school level, including three years at international schools. He proudly became a United States citizen in 2010.
Gearing earned his doctorate degree from Texas A&M – Commerce, master’s degree from Texas A&M – Texarkana, and bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and chemistry from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. He and his wife, Aldine, have four children.
Book Recommendations for School Leaders
This is a brief list of books I’ve found that have influenced who I am as a leader. There are thousands more out there worth reading, so this is simply a starting point. Enjoy!
- Brown, Brene (2018). Dare to Lead. Penguin Random House. New York, NY.
- Collins, Jim (2001). Good to Great. Harper Collins. New York, NY.
- Collins, Jim (2005). Good to Great and the Social Sectors. Harper Collins. New York, NY.
- Couros, George (2015). The Innovator’s Mindset. Dave Burgess Consulting, San Diego, CA.
- Covey, Stephen R. (1989). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Fireside. New York, NY.
- Coyle, Daniel (2009). The Talent Code. Bantam Dell. New York, NY.
- Coyle, Daniel (2018). The Culture Code. Bantam Dell. New York, NY.
- Dworkin, Martin S. (1959). Dewey on Education. Teachers College Press. New York, NY.
- Gladwell, Malcolm (2000). The Tipping Point. Little, Brown, and Company. New York, NY.
- Gladwell, Malcolm (2008). Outliers. Little, Brown, and Company. New York, NY.
- Kurtzig Freedman, Miriam (2017). Special Education 2.0. School Law Pro. Palo Alto, CA.
- Lencioni, Patrick (1998). The Five Temptations of a CEO. Jossey-Bass. San Francisco, CA.
- Lencioni, Patrick (2002). The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. Jossey-Bass. San Francisco, CA.
- McAdams, Donald R. (2006). What School Boards Can Do. Teachers College Press. New York, NY.
- Rath, Tom (2007). Strengths Finder 2.0. Gallup Press. New York, NY.
- Rath, Tom, and Conchie, Barry (2008). Strengths Based Leadership. Gallup Press. New York, NY.
- Richardson, Will (2016). Freedom to Learn. Solution-Tree Press. Bloomington, IN.
- Robinson Ken (2001). Out of Our Minds. Capstone Publishers. West Sussex, England.
- Rose, Todd (2016). The End of Average. Harper Collings. New York, NY.
- Schlechty, Phillip C. (2005). Creating Great Schools. Jossey-Bass. San Francisco, CA.
- Segall, Ken (2016). Think Simple: How Smart Leaders Defeat Complexity. Penguin Random House. New York, NY.
- Senge, Peter M. (1990). The Fifth Discipline. Doubleday. London, UK.
- Smart, Jamie (2013). Clarity. Capstone Publishing. Chichester, UK.
- Socol, I., Moran, P., Ratliff, C. (2018). Timeless Learning. Jossey-Bass. San Francisco, CA.
- Theobald, Paul (1997). Teaching the Commons. Westview Press. Oxford, England.
- Wells, Richard (2016). A Learner’s Paradise: How New Zealand is Reimagining Education. EdTechTeam Press.
- Wheatley, Margaret J. (1992). Leadership and the New Science. Berret Koehler Publishers, Inc. San Francisco, CA.
- Wiseman, Liz (2010). Multipliers. Harper Collings. New York, NY.
- Zhao, Yong (2012). World Class Learners. Corwin Press. Thousand Oaks, CA.
Share a Story
Share a Story
Leander ISD is collecting stories of world class students, staff and schools to share on our websites, media partners, social media, and presentations.
We want to hear about:
- State and national awards
- Unique projects and talents
- Stellar teacher and service
- Heartfelt stories of perseverance
State of the District
Together with the Leander and Cedar Park Chambers of Commerce, the Leander Educational Excellence Foundation (LEEF) annually hosts the Leander ISD (LISD) State of the District event, a prestigious gathering that underscores our district’s achievements, strategic goals, and future plans. This in-person luncheon aims to strengthen our connections with local businesses and community partners, highlighting stories of excellence, collaboration, and innovation.
More information about State of the District
Convocation
Recent News
Staff Directory
For a districtwide staff listing, visit the Staff Directory page.
