Alexandria City Public Schools Superintendent Gregory Hutchings Jr. was recognized with a leadership award from a non-profit promoting healthy living conditions for children in the D.C. area.

Hutchings was awarded the Tom Cookerly Exceptional School Superintendent Leadership Award 2019 earlier this month by the National Center for Children and Families, citing his “his success as an outstanding leader in education and as an advocate, role model and mentor for minority youth in schools,” according to a press release.

The award comes near the end of what’s been a good couple months for Hutchings, who oversaw all ACPS schools becoming fully accredited for the first time in 20 years and successfully urged the School Board to stick with a single high school. As superintendent, Hutchings has also been at the forefront of a push to address inequalities within the school system.

Hutchings has been superintendent for a little over a year, starting in July 2018, and was a class of 1995 graduate from T.C. Williams High School.

“It is a great honor to receive this award and see recognition for the work ACPS has undertaken to close achievement gaps,” Hutchings said in the press release. “We continue to strive for equity for all our students. It is a long road but our goal is for each child to experience success regardless of their life circumstances.”

Staff photo by Jay Westcott