Alexandria School Board Chair Michelle Rief responded today to the stinging letter from the PTSA of Alexandria City High School laying out “serious concerns” with Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt and the school system’s central office.
While not naming Kay-Wyatt in the June 18 response, Rief wrote that the PTSA’s letter “rightly calls out the challenges that turnover can cause,” but listed several highlights from the school over the past year for context.
With summer vacation just days away, Alexandria leaders were on hand at Francis C. Hammond Middle School on Thursday (June 5) to receive 500 free backpacks filled with school supplies.
The backpacks, most of which are being stored for the start of the 2025-2026 school year, were donated to the Title I school as part of a collaboration between United Way National Capital Area, Enterprise Mobility, and American Water. United Way NCA’s partnership with Alexandria City Public Schools has provided more than 3,500 backpacks to the West End school since 2017.
It wasn’t just raining outside today. Tears of happiness streamed from students, parents, educators, and city leaders as 984 Alexandria City High School seniors graduated at George Mason University’s EagleBank Arena. That’s the largest graduating class in ACHS history.
Alexandria City Public Schools Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt told the students that now is the time for them to harness their potential, creativity, brilliance, and resilience.
Teaching kids is challenging, and on Thursday (May 8) Alexandria City Public Schools named two of its best the principal and teacher of the year.
School Board Chair Michelle Rief and Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt presented the awards to Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School Principal Suzanne M. Hess and James K. Polk Elementary School third-grade teacher Sharon Phox.
After a firestorm of criticism from city leaders and student journalists over proposed oversight changes to Alexandria City High School’s student newspaper, Theogony, this morning (May 2), the Alexandria School Board’s Governance Committee returned to the drawing board.
From reporting on a transportation controversy to investigations into the School Board, transgender policies, or even lampooning metal detectors in cartoons, Theogony student journalists take their roles seriously. Now, with City Council members warning of potential “censorship” and “authoritarian” behavior from the school system, student journalists are alleging a concerted effort from the administration of Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt to suppress touchy or controversial stories from appearing in the monthly publication.
The Alexandria City School Board has approved starting the naming process for three school facilities.
At its April 3 meeting, the board approved initiating the naming process for the Early Childhood Center courtyard, Naomi L. Brooks Media Center, and Parker-Gray Stadium field.
Alexandria City Public Schools wants a formalized collective bargaining agreement sent to the city manager by the end of the year, but it comes as the city is renegotiating its agreements with police, fire, and administrative and technical staff.
It’s been a year since the school system failed to reach a collective bargaining agreement with the Education Association of Alexandria (EAA). Last year, the School Board held a public hearing and approved a draft collective bargaining resolution with the goal of presenting the package to City Manager Jim Parajon for inclusion in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget.
Alexandria’s effort to ditch school buses and put high school students on city-run DASH buses is not without controversy.
On Tuesday, City Council Member Abdel Elnoubi expressed frustration on how Alexandria City Public Schools has addressed the issue.
On Wednesday morning (March 19), cheering children honored the people who actually make Alexandria run at Douglas MacArthur Elementary School.
The event honoring essential workers marked the culmination of the fourth annual Alexandria City Essential Workers Appreciation Week.
After years under development, the ribbon was cut today on the new synthetic turf sports field at Patrick Henry K-8 School.
It took six years to construct the field in front of the renovated West End school at 4643 Taney Avenue, which reopened next to the old school in early 2019.
There’s nothing like a new pair of shoes. This afternoon, all James K. Polk Elementary School students in Alexandria’s West End received free sneakers.
That’s 770 pairs of shoes, all donated to the students by Pennsylvania-based nonprofit Operation Warm and Georgia-based builder Beazer Homes. The event was just one in a handful today across the country that the companies are offering to school systems.
