From Alexandria City Public Schools
Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) Superintendent Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt has been selected as a 2023 Superintendent to Watch by the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA). Dr. Kay-Wyatt joins just 24 other superintendents nationwide who were selected for the honor in recognition of their innovative and effective use of technology to engage and inform the school community, and to expand two-way communication and outreach efforts. Dr. Kay-Wyatt is a former principal in Fredericksburg and worked in Spotsylvania County Schools
“I am deeply honored to be recognized as a superintendent who makes family engagement and communication a priority within our school division, and I extend my sincere gratitude to the National School Public Relations Association for this recognition,” said Kay-Wyatt. “Strong communication between our schools and families fosters understanding and collaboration and helps build success for our students. I am proud of the work we do within ACPS to keep our community engaged and informed.”
As the 2023-24 school year began, Kay-Wyatt has demonstrated her commitment to fostering a strong and inclusive educational community to benefit all students. She visits schools regularly to talk to students, hosts open office hours for school-based staff and visits morning bus stops throughout the school year to ensure open communication with school communities at all levels. This fall, she hosted the first “Superintendent’s Community Chat: One Team, One Journey” event to address division priorities and answer questions from the community. Kay-Wyatt also supported the launch of a new website for the division and schools and the ParentSquare multilingual communication platform. She engages the community via social media and shares insights, updates and academic information through her monthly “Supe’s Spotlight” video series.
“On behalf of the Alexandria City School Board, we want to congratulate Dr. Kay-Wyatt for this recognition of her leadership to ensure a strong culture of communication with families in our school division. We appreciate division and school initiatives to engage families with multilingual communications to support the academic success and well-being of all of our students,” said School Board Chair Dr. Michelle Rief.
NSPRA reported a record number of nominations for this award this year — more than 70 — and many exceptional candidates, making the selection process very competitive. Since the 2015-16 school year, NSPRA has recognized 152 school district leaders as Superintendents to Watch. Honorees must have fewer than five years of experience as a superintendent and demonstrate dynamic, fast-paced leadership with strong communication at its core. Visit www.nspra.org/superintendents-watch to learn more about this award.
“This year’s honorees understand the critical role that effective, two-way communication plays in building trust with students, families, employees and community members,” said NSPRA Executive Director Barbara M. Hunter, APR. “Each of these leaders have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to championing innovative communication strategies to advance their district’s success.”
