The beginning of a new school year is a little over a month away and I am looking forward to my first school opening as the superintendent of Alexandria City Public Schools. This is a time of purpose and growth for our schools. It is a time for new beginnings in ACPS. Now is the time to prepare our school division and our students to claim the success that is theirs. Now is the time to work together to build a division of high-performing schools — not just a few of our schools, but each one of our schools.
Our main priorities are to raise achievement at all levels by concentrating on classroom instruction and to become a consistently high-performing school division.
The summer was put to good use by our faculty and staff as they prepared for the new year. Teachers and administrators engaged in professional learning activities that will make our school division stronger and even better equipped to meet the needs of each and every student. The maintenance and facilities staffs were busy readying the school buildings to welcome students and staff for another great year.
School leaders and central office support worked to ensure that the foundation is in place to help our educators succeed in challenging and inspiring our students.
A major focus this summer has been completing consolidation of our middle schools. New principals and staffs have been selected and have joined our team. A new set of professional learning activities will begin in August. These activities will better prepare staff for the consistent implementation of the ACPS middle school curriculum. Facilities have been modified and enhanced to improve learning environments for our students. I want to thank all of those on our staff who have worked hard to get ready for this new chapter in our middle schools.
We also put the finishing touches on a new Jefferson-Houston School that we expect to be part of a reinvigorated instructional program. An addition to George Mason Elementary School has been completed to welcome that school’s students and staff.
We are excited to welcome four new principals and a new chief academic officer to the ACPS family.
We hope that you will support them in their efforts to motivate and engage students and staff. The support and feedback from parents and the community will prove vital to their success. We challenge our skeptics to walk into a classroom, take a tour, or volunteer in our schools. You are guaranteed to find interested, hardworking educators who are inspiring and challenging our students toward superior achievement. We will build on the strengths of these educators and our diverse community as we move forward in achieving our quest to meet the needs of each student.
Our goals in the year ahead are to enhance reading and mathematics instruction, bridge the achievement gap between racially and economically diverse students, provide targeted early intervention, and strengthen student support in honors and Advanced Placement classes. We look forward to developing a new strategic plan for the division, reviewing the honors curriculum, and supporting the City of Alexandria’s Youth Master Plan. Although we face many challenges, we have no doubt that we will succeed in meeting the aspirations of all Alexandrians.
We hold ourselves accountable for success in meeting our community’s vision for its schools. We have meticulously addressed leadership transitions and the restructuring of our middle schools over the past few months, and we will continue to address these issues as we seek to ensure consistency in delivery of a rich and rigorous instructional program across all schools.
We need an engaged, supportive community to help us on this journey. All parents, business leaders, and community members are invited to join us. Our doors are always open. Come to school with us!
Dr. Alvin Crawley is Superintendent of Schools Alexandria City Public Schools.