The responsibility of a journalist is to chronicle the truth in its many facets with as much diligence, thought and care as possible. Theogony has historically attempted to stay neutral on school endeavors while operating in the aftermath of major decisions that affect us foremost as students — and perhaps equally importantly as student journalists. We comment precariously on these decisions, but as a part of the school community, we want to represent the interests of our school population as much as possible. Thus, we, the Theogony Editorial Board, voice our support for Mr. Alexander Duncan as the best selection for Executive Principal at ACHS.
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Kay-Wyatt to Remain Superintendent
At its May 4 meeting, the Alexandria City Public School Board announced that Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt would remain in place as ACPS Superintendent. Kay-Wyatt has served as Interim Superintendent since September 2022 and was also the ACPS head of Human Resources from 2021 to 2022. She is the first Black woman to assume the permanent superintendent role.
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ACPS Plans to Pilot Advanced Metal Detectors
The Alexandria City School Board voted 7-0 on February 2 to approve a measure that initiated the implementation process for “weapons abatement technology” at the ACHS King Street and Minnie Howard campuses, as well as at Francis C. Hammond and George Washington Middle schools. The process began with the ACPS Central Office collecting opinions of stakeholders through a community survey in February and March, which they will use to present a formal installment proposal to the School Board at the upcoming March 30 meeting.
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Meeting the New Superintendent: Dr. Kay-Wyatt
After a tumultuous school year, Alexandria City Public School’s Superintendent Gregory Hutchings announced on June 10 that he would not renew his contract after nearly four years. His official resignation came into effect on August 31. Starting September 1, Melanie Kay-Wyatt serves as the interim superintendent through the 22-23 school year or until the school board can appoint an eligible candidate into the permanent position.
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Fostering Leadership in International Academy
The International Academy (IA) at Alexandria City High School is a program for students who migrate from their home country to the United States to receive an education. While adapting to a great change in the U.S., IA students are also learning English. IA Leadership was started 5 years ago by teachers Christal Jackson, Jacqueline Rice and Gabriel Elias. They attended a training called CivicTREK by ACPS which allows teachers to connect their curriculum to real-life problems.
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ACPS Not to Comply with Youngkin’s Anti-Transgender Policy
ACPS has announced it will not comply with a new statewide model school board policy issued by the Virginia Department of Education on Friday, September 16 that aimed to roll back transgender rights for students.
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Proposed Grading Policy Hurts Students, Teachers
At a meeting on August 25, the Alexandria School Board discussed a controversial grading policy focused on addressing equity problems. The meeting came weeks late, and the proposed grading policy, which stated that homework should not be graded, NHI’s should be given instead of zeros, and grades should generally reflect mastery of the curricula rather than completed work, showed a complete disconnect from teacher input.
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The Frustrations of a Community: Alexandria School Safety Community Listening Session
Alexandria City Councilmember Canek Aguirre and ACPS School Board member Abdel Elnoubi hosted a community listening session about school safety at Beatley Library on Sunday, September 10. The session was permeated with discussions surrounding the Student Law Enforcement Partnership (SLEP) initiative, media response, and community involvement in legislative processes. Elnoubi said that the decision on what to do with school resource officers (SROs) will be made in October or November, whether that be to leave, remove, or reimagine the role of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the city and schools. This decision will come with the recommendations of the SLEP committee.
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Homework Survives… For Now
On Thursday, August 25, the ACPS School Board held a special-session meeting about a proposal to change their grading policy. Citing a lack of teacher input and a less than “ideal time,” the lengthy discussion concluded by tabling the overall proposal, including a section that would have eradicated the function of homework in the classroom. The Board voted to adopt aspects of the proposal, including regulating a 60/40% summative and formative grading ratio and abolishing class rank.
