BREAKING: Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr. resigns

Alexandria City Public Schools Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr. resigned abruptly on Friday morning (June 10).

Hutchings’ resignation comes after a tumultuous few weeks for the school division, following a closed-door session asking the School Board to not talk with the media and about the fatal stabbing death of a student.

The resignation goes into effect August 31.

The following note was sent to ACPS families:

 Message from the ACPS superintendent

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 which 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 bringing 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

A news release from Alexandria City Public Schools said School Board chair Meagan Alderton will appoint an interim superintendent while ACPS conducts a search for a new permanent one.

“Chair Alderton stated that the School Board will appoint an interim superintendent to lead the division while a search for a permanent superintendent is underway,” the release said. “Dr. Hutchings has pledged to work closely with the School Board over the summer to ensure there is a smooth transition in leadership to begin the 2022-23 school year.”

Alderton praised Hutchings’ work at ACPS in the release:

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.

Vernon Miles contributed to this story