Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt
Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt will be taking over as interim superintendent of Alexandria City Public Schools effective Sept. 1. Her appointment follows news in June that Superintendent Dr. Gregory Hutchings would be leaving ACPS.
Kay-Wyatt is currently the ACPS chief of human resources. She joined ACPS in 2021 and has served as executive director of human resources.
Kay-Wyatt’s contract will continue through the end of this school year, or until a permanent superintendent is hired. The terms of Kay-Wyatt’s contract as interim superintendent include a monthly salary of $21,383. The School Board will immediately begin the search process for a permanent superintendent, which will include opportunities for input from staff, students, families and community members. ACPS starts school on Aug. 22 this year.
“We are so pleased to appoint Dr. Kay-Wyatt as interim superintendent for Alexandria City Public Schools. The leadership, breadth and depth of experience and skills that she brings to this role are pivotal to continue advancing the goals of our 2025 Equity for All Strategic Plan,” said Alexandria City Board Chair Meagan L. Alderton. “Dr. Kay-Wyatt is a proven instructional leader whose background and skills as a special education teacher, principal and central office leader make her the right person to lead our school division at this time. We are confident that the knowledge, trust and relationships she has built within the ACPS community will serve her well as interim superintendent and we look forward to working more closely with her.”
With Kay-Wyatt’s leadership, the ACPS Department of Human Resources has significantly increased recruitment and hiring, strengthened partnerships with universities, improved staff onboarding and elevated employee wellness and recognition.
Teacher recruitment and retention will not be Kay-Wyatt's only ongoing challenge this year. Safety is on the minds of many people after the end of the 2021-22 school year went virtual for high school students after the off-campus murder of a student.
The Community Group of Alexandria, a group of concerned parents of ACPS students and residents, this month developed a list of recommendations to share with school and community leaders. The list addresses prevention, justice, and accountability, with a particular focus on prevention. The group narrowed its list of recommendations for immediate implementation to these:
- Increase Transparency Publishing Timely Data (Honesty & Facts)
- Implement an Early Warning and Timely Response System For At-Risk Youth
- Maintain School Resource Officers
- Increase Personnel In Schools
“The parents and community members offered unique perspectives and solutions for improving safety in our schools,” said M. René Islas, a parent of four ACPS students and CEO of Crescere Strategies LLC, which analyzed the survey data. “Our hope is that school and city leaders, as well as the Alexandria School Law Enforcement Partnership (SLEP) advisory group, will use the invaluable information we have gathered to develop sustainable change in our city schools.”
