Dr. Douglas Otto is the current Superintendent of Schools

Superintendent (education)

In education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....

 for the Plano Independent School District

Plano Independent School District

Plano Independent School District is a public school district in southeastern Collin County, Texas, with its headquarters in Plano. Plano ISD serves about of land, with of it within the City of Plano...

.

Otto completed his Bachelor's degree

Bachelor's degree

A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...

 in business education from Illinois State University

Illinois State University

Illinois State University , founded in 1857, is the oldest public university in Illinois; it is located in the town of Normal. ISU is considered a "national university" that grants a variety of doctoral degrees and strongly emphasizes research; it is also recognized as one of the top ten largest...

. He also received a Master's degree

Master's degree

A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...

 and Doctorate degree in educational administration from the same university.

Otto began his career as a business education teacher in Dundee, Illinois. He then became a high school principal in Taylor Ridge, Illinois. He served in this position for three years. Otto then was the superintendent of schools for the North Scott School Community District in Eldridge, Iowa

Eldridge, Iowa

Eldridge is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,651 at the 2010 census; Eldridge is a part of the Quad Cities metropolitan area and is considered a suburb.-History:...

 and the Rockridge Community Unit School District in Taylor Ridge, Illinois. From 1987 to 1990, he served in the same position at the Metropolitan School District of Warren Township in Indianapolis, Indiana

Indianapolis, Indiana

Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...

. For the next five years, Otto was the superintendent of schools for the Anoka-Hennepin School District in Minnesota

Minnesota

Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

.

In 1995, Otto joined PISD as the superintendent of schools. He is responsible for overseeing the 53,000-student school district that has a budget of approximately $497 million.

Otto currently serves as the president of the Texas Schools Finance Coalition. Also he is on the national advisory board for Practical Parent Education and the Horace Mann

Horace Mann

Horace Mann was an American education reformer, and a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1827 to 1833. He served in the Massachusetts Senate from 1834 to 1837. In 1848, after serving as Secretary of the Massachusetts State Board of Education since its creation, he was...

 League. Otto
speaks at many state and national conferences and is an adjunct professor

Professor

A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...

 at the University of North Texas

University of North Texas

The University of North Texas is a public institution of higher education and research in Denton. Founded in 1890, UNT is part of the University of North Texas System. As of the fall of 2010, the University of North Texas, Denton campus, had a certified enrollment of 36,067...

 and the University of Texas in Austin, Texas

Austin, Texas

Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...

.

Otto has been awarded numerous awards for his leadership including: The Leadership for Learning Award in 2000 by the American Association for School Administrators for the total integration of technology into the elementary curriculum, one of 12 Tech-Savvy Superintendents from across the nation by eSchool News, and the Region 10 Service Center's nominee for Texas Superintendent of the Year in 2001. Otto was inducted into the Illinois State University College of Education Hall of Fame in 2002.

Douglas W. Otto Middle School in Plano, set to open in 2010, is named for Dr. Otto.