Good morning ACPS Staff!
Happy Monday and a warm welcome to our first Professional Learning day since school started.
It’s been a month since we opened our doors to welcome our young people back to school and I just wanted to send a thank you note for your hard work, dedication and patience.
Overall, we had a great first month of school; our new teachers have settled in, our students are used to the routines and we have worked through some of our initial bumps in the road.
The warm wet weather that we had throughout September is only just starting to let up and although some of our facilities issues that were driven by these conditions have been resolved, we are still working through some challenges with water intrusion, mold, cooling systems, and delayed cafeteria projects in some of our schools. I want to acknowledge that you have been ultimate professionals under these unforeseen circumstances and our young people haven’t skipped a beat due to your vision, integrity and passion.
My goal as superintendent is to be visible – to staff, students, parents and community – so that I am able to see for myself some of the great work we are doing and speak knowledgeably about it at School Board and community meetings. In October, I will begin visiting schools and classrooms to see our students and teachers in action. The intention of these visits is not to evaluate you or even to provide feedback. I am connecting to the work taking place in our schools and observing day to day operations. I will quietly enter your classroom and may ask a student what they are working on. Please do not stop the lesson you are teaching or whatever instruction you are delivering. Just carry on as if I were not there!
Later this month, I will be meeting with my Transition Team – made up of staff and community members – to discuss the progress with my 100-Day Entry Plan. I will keep you updated with the guidance and priorities that come out of it.
ACPS is fortunate to have exceptional leaders, teachers and staff who genuinely care about our young people and their success. I’m honored to be afforded the opportunity to serve as your superintendent of schools. I know that it takes all of us in whatever role we do, working together with a common vision to see every student succeed. We are well on our way and I promise to support, encourage and be the example.
Have a great week, and a powerful and inspiring Professional Learning day today.
Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr.
Superintendent of Schools