Fort Bend ISD

Since 2011, James Drew has served as the Director of Fine Arts for the Fort Bend Independent School District in Sugar Land, Texas. Prior to this appointment as Fine Arts Director, James conducted bands and orchestras in the Texas public schools for 21 years, one year in Killeen, Texas and the remaining 20 years in Fort Bend ISD. Ensembles under James’s direction have been selected as state Honor Band finalists and performed at the prestigious Midwest Clinic on four separate occasions. James was chosen the Outstanding Young Bandmaster of the Year in 1997 by the honorary band director’s fraternity, Phi Beta Mu.

Since his appointment as Fine Arts Director, James has worked tirelessly to advance the Department’s vision of providing innovative programming led by collaborative artist-teachers in a supportive environment that values excellence in all disciplines. With the Department’s support, FBISD performing groups and individual students continue to garner state and national recognition. Under James’s leadership, FBISD has added over 150 teaching positions and four administrative positions to support Arts education. The Department’s annual budget has increased from $1.5 million to $3.5 million and the District has purchased over $5 million in new instruments to replace aging inventory. To develop teaching capacity among FBISD’s Fine Arts staff, James established a job-embedded professional growth model, linking classroom observation with professional coaching. He worked collaboratively with stakeholders to create an innovative evaluation system to promote excellence in all campus-based performing and visual arts programs. James has implemented new curricula for the District’s 80-plus Fine Arts courses, established a progressive arts-integration teacher network, and initiated an El-Sistema-type, after-school string program. James was named the 2018 Music Administrator of the Year by the Texas Music Administrators Conference.

James earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Oral Roberts University, a Master of Music degree in Instrumental Conducting from West Texas State University, and a Master of Arts in Psychology degree from Houston Baptist University. James holds membership in the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, and the Alpha Chapter of Phi Beta Mu; he concurrently serves as President for both the Texas Music Adjudicators Association and Texas Fine Arts Administrators.