Dr. Thomas Randle became Lamar CISD's Superintendent of Schools in 2001. Under his leadership, Lamar CISD is known around the state for academic excellence. During his tenure, the District has twice been recognized by Texas School Business magazine for its best practices. Lamar CISD has earned the HEB Excellence in Education Award for Best Large District and three campuses were named National Blue Ribbon Schools. Student success is also commonplace in Lamar CISD with multiple state championships in athletics and fine arts—among countless other honors and awards.
Since Dr. Randle's arrival in Lamar CISD, the District has added over a dozen facilities—with plans for another dozen on the way. Student enrollment has increased from about 16,000 to 34,000 and the staff has gone from 2,200 to over 5,000—making Lamar CISD the second-largest employer in Fort Bend County.
Dr. Randle also has a strong record of industry leadership, including service with the Texas Association of School Boards Risk Management Fund, the UIL Legislative Committee, the Texas FFA Association, the Texas Association of School Administrators, the Texas Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development, Texas Academic Decathlon, the Texas Alliance of Black School Educators and the Texas Business and Education Coalition. He's a Past President of the Texas Association of School Administrators and a Past President of the Texas Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development.
He served on the Texas Education Commissioner's Cabinet of Superintendents, the Policy Committee on Public Education Information and as an advisor for the Texas Education Agency’s Recommended High School Plan. In 2008, the Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives appointed Dr. Randle to the Select Committee on Public School Accountability.
He’s twice been named the Region 4 Superintendent of the Year (2001 & 2017) and also a finalist for Texas Superintendent of the Year.
Other honors include the 2004 Texas Educational Support Staff Administrator of the Year and Texas A&M's 2012 John R. Hoyle Award for Educational Leadership. In 2017, the Texas Alliance of Black School Educators recognized Dr. Randle by naming a statewide award in his honor. He received an Oklahoma Regent of Higher Education Fellowship and served on a focus group for the Council of Chief State School Officers in Washington D.C. In 2019, Dr. Randle graduated from The Holdsworth Center's Inaugural Leadership Development Program.
Dr. Randle earned his Bachelor’s and Master's degrees from Texas A&M University and a Doctorate from Oklahoma State University. At A&M, Dr. Randle was a Distinguished Student, and was named an Outstanding Graduate and a Notable Graduate nominee. Dr. Randle began his education career as an agriculture teacher in Sweeny, then worked his way up the administrative ladder in Conroe ISD, as an assistant principal, principal and assistant superintendent for secondary education. He also served as superintendent in LaMarque ISD for six years prior to arriving in Lamar CISD.
Ultimately, Dr. Randle is still a teacher at heart. He has served as an adjunct professor at UH Clear Lake, Lamar University and Texas A&M University.