Leadership Germantown Gets an Inside Look at GMSD

More than 30 community leaders spent last week inside Germantown Municipal School District classrooms, labs and collaborative spaces as part of Leadership Germantown’s Education Day. The experience was designed to show not only where GMSD is headed, but how the district operates behind the scenes as one of the city’s largest employers.

The day was planned to balance multiple perspectives: classroom instruction, workforce preparation, operations, law and policy and opportunities for community partnership. A panel featuring TOSS Executive Director Gary Lilly, TDOE manager Amanda McClusky and board chairman Brian Curry provided additional context on how public education functions at the state and local levels. Superintendent Jason Manuel also delivered the day’s keynote address.

Participants toured Houston High School and Forest Hill Elementary, experiencing the full K–12 continuum. While many were familiar with GMSD’s academic reputation, several noted that the most surprising moments came from seeing programs and pathways they did not realize existed.

“I came away amazed,” said Dennis Criscuolo, Germantown resident and co-owner of FlagCenter.com. “I live 100 yards from Houston High and had no idea what was happening inside those walls.”

Criscuolo pointed to the district’s career and technical education programs as a standout. “People know the academics, but they don’t know about the CTE program and the skills trades,” he said. “We’ve got 3D printing and a sign shop right here in our backyard. That is real workforce preparation.”

For business and civic leaders, the visit highlighted how GMSD aligns student learning with real-world applications. Criscuolo sees immediate potential for collaboration between his company and students on design and manufacturing projects. “I left business cards because there are real opportunities to work with students on real projects,” he said.

Throughout the day, student ambassadors led tours and shared their experiences, reinforcing a central goal of the event: to keep students at the center of every conversation.

Leadership Germantown participants represented a wide range of industries and generations, many without children currently in the school system. The experience was intentionally structured to reveal aspects of public education that are often unseen, from operational systems to workforce pathways and policy considerations.

More than anything, the day highlighted the role strong school systems play in a community’s economic and civic future. Reflecting on the program as a whole, Criscuolo noted that each Leadership Germantown session brings something unexpected. “Every session has a component you expect, but there’s always a surprise,” he said. “Education Day definitely delivered.”