Q: Did you ever want a different career?

A: I’ve always wanted to be a teacher, because my early role models were all teachers. So, I became a teacher, then a high school principal. I thought I could have a positive affect on more students in the school as the principal. Then, once I became a superintendent, I realized I could positively affect many, many more students.

Q: If you could pick one United States president to be, and an era, who and what would those be?

A: That’s an easy one for me - John F. Kennedy. I was about your age when he took office. He held hope in the palm of his hand. He was so good at painting a picture, a vision of where our country needed to be. He said that we’d put a man on the moon in 10 years, and we were successful. We’re the only country that’s ever done it. And, I like that he had his young children in the White House with him. During his presidency was the time of the Cold War. Russia was our enemy. If there was a time in history that I’d change, it would be the time that I was in college.

My generation was the “protest” generation – we questioned leadership about their ideals. If I could have changed something, it would be that leaders would have been better listeners during the 1960s and 1970s, that we’d have had more conversations and better understandings instead of all the cultural wars that were going on. You may not realize this either: our generation started Earth Day during those years because we were concerned about our planet.

Q: How did you become superintendent?

A: Spring 1981, I applied for a principal job at a much larger high school. The school board president asked me if I would think about being the superintendent. It felt good. I was shocked. I said that I would consider it if the board conducted a superintendent search. Then, I would be appointed because I was the best candidate. My motivation was that I had people who thought that I could be superintendent. I remember reassuring myself, “I think I could be superintendent.” And, this year marks my 28th as a superintendent.

Q: Which are you more like: a mountain, a Golden Retriever or a beach ball?

A: Golden Retrievers are caring and loyal. I’m not like a beach ball. I’d say that I’m most like a mountain: there, steady, you can count on me. A mountain can look different too, depending upon how far up you go. The temperature and the scenery change, yet from a distance you always look the same.

Q: Which hat do you like most and why? (student gestures toward hat collection on wall)

A: (Dr. Otto points to a baseball cap in forest green with beige bill.) That hat reminds me of my skiing days up north. (He points to Dr. Seuss hat) And, I’ve worn that hat to read to students in our elementary schools. (Next, a red/white/blue hat) And that hat I’ve worn to Memorial Day parades at our schools. Those hats bring back good memories for me.

Q: Which trait is most important: take charge, energy/playfulness or neat freak?

A: I am a neat freak, but that doesn’t make a good leader. People prefer that a leader take charge. And, without a sense of humor, you won’t be a good leader, but you don’t want to be playful all the time.

Q:  Did you make past mistakes, and, if so, what?

A: During my first or second year as superintendent (in Illinois), we were in the middle of a budget crunch, so I took the school board a series of recommendations to cut the budget. I was going to combine two bus routes. The problem - which the school board had to point out to me - was that the two routes were at the “opposite ends” of our very large, rural school district! I had to have a very good sense of humor about that mistake...Another funny mistake I made was, when I needed to show how much I knew about everyone’s job, I rode a school bus route one afternoon. This was on a gravel road with dust flying everywhere. Every time the bus stopped, about an inch of dust would settle inside the bus and on me. I had a school board meeting that night, so I was dressed in a business suit, and I was covered in dust! That became the big joke of all the bus drivers.

Q: How do other people describe you?

A: Accessible. Good sense of humor…dedicated…committed to students and staff in Plano ISD. At the end of the day, you want people to describe you as fair; you thought through an issue and made the best decision.

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Dr. Otto closed his visit with the Hughston Elementary iLEAD students by encouraging them to consider some day serving on his Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council, a focus group of senior highschool students who meet with him once a month during the school year to discuss issues such as GPAs, calendar, dress codes and policies. “I share with them what’s going on in the school district and ask them for advice,” he said. The iLEAD students invited him to join them on an upcoming visit to Southern Methodist University, then serenaded him with a song about leadership. iLEAD t eacher sponsors are Lisa Wellborn, gifted specialist; Ann Gray, literacy specialist; and Pam Hart, counselor. Luanne Collins is school principal.