Updated Monday, June 13:
On the last day of the school year, Alexandria City Public Schools announced that Superintendent Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr., is resigning from his position, effective later this summer.
Documents related to Hutchings' separation agreement indicate that he will receive a substantial payout after he leaves later this summer. That includes four months' salary, more than $9,000 for insurance coverage (COBRA), and an additional retirement contribution of $30,000. He will also receive payment for his unused vacation and sick leave. The Superintendent and School Board reportedly had been in discussions for months about his exit.
Hutchings next move is as the leader of Revolutionary Ed, LLC, which he registered in early 2021. The company's website is selling his book, "Getting Into Good Trouble at School." His new company will "support and empower school systems to dismantle systemic racism in education and promote antiracism through cultural responsiveness, diversity, equity, and inclusion."
In his past four years as superintendent of ACPS, Hutchings has made a mark. A graduate himself of T.C. Williams High School (now Alexandria City High School), Hutchings' hiring was a homecoming. Hutchings was previously superintendent of schools in Shaker, Ohio.
“It has been both an honor and a pleasure to work alongside Dr Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr. He has led our school division during extremely tumultuous times and, in doing so, has modeled for all of us what it means to lead with vision, integrity, and passion. Alexandria City Public Schools has benefited tremendously from his leadership. As a board, we are sad to see him go, but we wish him the very best in his future endeavors. I have no doubt that we will see him doing great things that will impact public education beyond the boundaries of Alexandria City Public Schools,” said Board Chair Meagan L. Alderton.
However, his tenure has not been without controversy and early reactions on social media to the announcement have been mixed.
Hutchings led the school board through the development of the new connected high school network, the in-progress re-buildings of Douglas MacArthur and Minnie Howard, the renaming of two city schools due to concerns about their namesake's racist pasts and much more. Under Hutchings' leadership, all ACPS schools were fully accredited. Hutchings also advocated strongly for the return of School Resource Officers to ACPS middle and high schools and relentlessly focused on equity for all students and staff.
Hutchings has been criticized for his side projects writing a book and teaching at Georgetown University, the way he handled the departures of some senior officials, his decision to send his own children to private schools, and the way special education was handled during the pandemic.
More recently, community members have raised concerns about how ACPS is handling interactions with the media.
ACPS officials have not yet released information on the search for a new superintendent or who may step into the position during the search.
Hutchings released the following statement Friday morning:
"It is with a heavy heart that I want to share with you before the end of the school year one of the most difficult decisions of my career. I will be resigning from my position as superintendent of schools at Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) effective August 31, 2022. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the students, staff, families and the Alexandria community since July 2018. I have thoroughly enjoyed my years leading our school division, in wh ich I was raised and educated as a proud member of the Alexandria community.
This decision did not come lightly and was prompted by my life’s work to advocate for antiracism in education. I have been proud of what we have accomplished together in bringi ng forth the very first ACPS strategic plan, Equity For All, that places racial equity at the heart of all our work. This courageous and bold roadmap compelled me to consider how I can help expand and establish similar initiatives in school systems across the country. It has become my personal imperative and has only been exacerbated by the recent attack on our equity work right here in Virginia. As superintendent, I am limited in my ability to speak freely and openly about this work and assist other school systems to carry out this critical advocacy. It is clear to me that this is the next phase of my career as an educator and the time has come for me to take this leap of faith, expand my reach, and move the needle on racial equity in education.
In my four years at ACPS, we have worked collaboratively with our School Board and our ACPS team to realize many significant accomplishments. While I will no longer stand at the helm of ACPS to lead our team, I will continue to support the work and care deeply for our students, staff and families. In my heart, I know that I will always remain close to ACPS and in the coming months, I will work closely with the School Board to ensure that there is a smooth transition to begin the 2022-23 school year.
I have faith in the team that will soon be charged with keeping ACPS moving forward. Thank you for the opportunity to lead this amazing community of educators and to serve as an example to our students, so that they, too, can have their dream job. My hope is that ACPS will continue to develop lifelong learners who will continue to pay it forward; to ACPS and beyond!
Sincerely,
Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr. Superintendent of Schools
