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Alexandria School Board hires search firm, wants new superintendent to start work this spring

The Alexandria School Board has chosen national search firm McPherson & Jacobson to find the next superintendent for Alexandria City Public Schools, and ideally wants the position filled by spring.

The firm accepted ACPS’s offer to conduct the search on September 29. The Nebraska-based McPherson & Jacobson was chosen from three candidates by a search committee made up of School Board Vice Chair Jacinta Greene and Board Members Abdel Elnoubi and Tammy Ignacio.

“The first step of the process will be McPhereson & Jacobson coming and actually determining through interviews with each board member what we exactly want in in our next superintendent that is going to take our school division to the next level,” told the Board at Thursday night’s (October 6) meeting. “We look forward to meeting with them and also then setting forth the timeline, which we hope to be completed by early spring with offering a contract to our next superintendent.”

Former Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr., left his position at the end of August, and interim Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt has not yet determined whether she will apply for the permanent position.

“We’re at a very pivotal moment in our school system and we need the best search firm to find the best superintendent that we can find,” Greene said.

Kay-Wyatt will have the interim superintendent position for at least the 2022-2023 school year or until a permanent superintendent is chosen.

About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.