 Terry Grier gave Simmons an Excellence in Leadership award in 2015 despite previously having some workplace disagreements with Simmons.In 2016 Furr won the Super School competition, organized by Laurene Powell Jobs, prevailing over about 700 other schools.The prize was a $10 million grant, awarded by the XQ Institute, and the Furr administration planned to use the money to revitalize the teaching program.