Teacher for 40 years. Trailblazer in special education. Assistant superintendent. Principal of Exemplary and Blue Ribbon schools. Mentor. Namesake of the Vaughn Gross Center. Creator of the inaugural Learning Forward Annual Conference. Award winner. Philanthropist. The word “icon” may be used too casually in popular culture, but for Vaughn Gross, it fits the bill.
Gross is a central figure in the history of MCPER. In 2004, the University of Texas Center for Reading and Language Arts was renamed the Vaughn Gross Center for Reading and Language Arts. That center was the precursor of MCPER and remains our sister organization. The projects and research that built our reputation and many scholars’ careers all flowed through the Vaughn Gross Center. But Gross’s influence goes far beyond that.
The Early Days
Gross is a true Austin native. She attended Highland Park Elementary, Lamar Middle School, and McCallum High School, participating in cheerleading and tennis. After high school, she followed her father’s footsteps and enrolled at UT Austin.
“Dad went to UT—you know he bled orange,” Gross said. “I really wanted to go to Colorado, but my dad said I’d have to pay for it, so I went to UT. And I’m glad I did!”
Gross’s first major was in radio, television, and film. “I liked to talk,” she said. “I could just imagine myself on a radio show, interviewing guests.” But it was through the influence of her brother, Joe Kelly, that she found her passion: special education.
“It was a blessing that my mother had Joe Kelly, who had Down syndrome,” she said. “We were 13 years apart, so he was like my child—truly God’s gift.”
With her new focus on special education, Gross returned to school and received a master’s degree from Southwest Texas State (now Texas State University). Then, she began a job as a special education teacher.
“I was the ultimate teacher,” she said. “I just couldn’t get enough of it. I was just passionate about it.”
When her husband, William “Tex” Gross, changed careers, opening a carpet-cleaning franchise in Sacramento, California, she moved to work in the office with him. But she missed teaching. “I did that for a year,” she said. “I cried and said, ‘I can’t do this,’ so I got a teaching job in a suburb of Sacramento.”
After returning to Austin, Gross worked jobs as a special education teacher at two schools, eventually becoming a resource teacher. “I truly believe that the strategies you learn in special education are good for all kids,” she said.
Next, Gross moved to Richardson Independent School District, where she spent the majority of her career. She first worked in second grade and then moved into the gifted program. Always evolving, Gross earned her certification for management principalship and became principal of Brentfield Elementary. Gross was a beloved figure there, and the school won many accolades, including recognition as a Blue Ribbon school.
In 1996, Texas Monthly wrote a profile of Brentfield, which centered on Gross. The PTA president at the time, Sondra Dozier, was quoted as saying that Gross’s “car is up here til 8 or 9 most nights. She’s amazingly dedicated. She’d get paid just as much to do a mediocre job.”
At Brentfield, Gross pioneered a program to fulfill the specific needs of “middle-of-the-class” children, or students who are not formally designated as gifted or specially challenged. And she took the time to write a note on every report card.
Next was Hamilton Park Pacesetter Magnet School, where Gross again served as principal. “I had an opportunity to rebuild the school,” she said. “I walked through the front door, and I knew that was where I belonged. The energy, the excitement—I loved to take something and make it maybe just a little bit better.”
And she did make it better. Under her guidance, Hamilton Park earned Exemplary status from the Texas Education Agency. “I brought the fake champagne, and we had lunch … and celebrated,” she said. “That was wonderful.”
Gross retired as assistant superintendent of curriculum at Richardson.
Passing the Torch
From decades of experience working both in the classroom and the front office, Gross has a wealth of advice for those seeking to become a teacher.
“It’s a calling,” she said. She then rattled off a series of questions aspiring teachers should ask themselves. “How passionate are you about children? How do you feel about working with children of all needs and cultures? How would you reach out to them? What made you decide to go into education? Have you worked with children before? What drives you?”
One of the most important things to consider, Gross said, is time. Teaching requires time—a lot of it.
“You can’t be an 8 to 3 teacher,” she said. “You will go to workshops in the summer. You will give up a lot of free time to learn to help your students. Students have one year in your classroom, and you need to make that the best year they have ever had. If you can do that and you are confident that you will give 110% to education, then you need to apply to teach. It’s hard. It will probably be the hardest thing you ever do.”
Gross also stressed the importance of seeking out mentors and forming partnerships with parents.
“Hopefully, you will find mentors who will help you along the way because you can’t do it by yourself,” she said. “And parents are important. You have an obligation to them as well. They become your partner, and you need to communicate with them and keep them in the loop.”
Always an Educator
Though she’s not in the classroom, Gross, who now lives in Waxahachie, is still active in many education initiatives. “I have kind of morphed into fundraising because I like people and I like helping and I like doing,” she said.
Gross serves on the Board of Trustees of Educational Opportunities, raising money for scholarships and mentoring magnet students in Dallas Independent School District. She has mentored multiple college students, including a nursing student.
Gross is also involved with Northwood Woman’s Club, raising money for beneficiaries and starting a scholarship for high school seniors. One of her goals is to develop a mentoring program.
She also stays active in the UT community, including work as a lifetime member of the College of Education Advisory Council. “Back in the day, the dean’s chair wasn’t fully funded, so I made it my goal to finish it. We ended up with $1 million,” she said. “I also was passionate about the College of Education having a Forty Acres Scholar.”
Gross has a longtime relationship with UT Elementary School, now helping with fundraising. “That has been an inspiration for me—to see what they have created in the curriculum,” she said. “It is the standard to me. It should be implemented in every school.”
Gross doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon. Passion, energy, and enthusiasm just exude from her, and it is as fresh as the day she started. After decades in the field, she remains inspired. “You may not make a lot of money in education,” she said, “but the rewards—you can’t put a price tag on it.”
MCPER will interview local education legends for a new series, Educator Icons. Do you have an Educator Icon you’d like to nominate? Email us at MCPER@meadowscenter.org.