American University’s School of Education welcomes Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings Jr. to its dynamic faculty, where he will serve as its first executive-in-residence and play a key role in elevating the school’s Antiracist Administration, Supervision, and Leadership (ARASL) certificate program.

“Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings Jr.’s commitment to antiracism in his scholarship, as well as in practice, mirrors the core values of the School of Education,” said SOE Dean Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy. “With this appointment, he will be an instrumental resource for our school’s faculty regarding Washington, D.C. partnerships and curricular decisions in our ARASL program.”

Hutchings’ work at SOE will include forming additional partnerships to raise the profile of the certificate program and mentoring students.

“It is our obligation to ensure that the next generation of leaders are well equipped to correct the inequities that many young people of color are unfortunately faced with every day in schools across America,” said Hutchings.

The School of Education’s ARASL certificate program is a virtual, 18-credit post-master’s graduate certificate that prepares education leaders with the knowledge and necessary mindset shift to actively dismantle racist practices and policies in classrooms, schools, and districts. Program participants learn as a cohort, complete clinical internship experiences, and are eligible for state leadership certification in Washington, D.C., upon completion. D.C. state certification is reciprocal in most other U.S. states. 

Hutchings’ goal is for “the ARASL certification program to be a catalyst for change across the nation and allow educational leaders from all walks of life to grow and learn best practices in antiracism professionally,” he said. He added that he believes the program “will be a national exemplar to help school systems across America dismantle systemic racism in education.”

An award-winning former Alexandria City Public Schools superintendent, Hutchings will build on AU’s commitment to supplying the region—and the country—with well-prepared antiracist school and district leaders. He brings over 20 years’ experience in antiracism in education, educational leadership, strategic planning and thinking, professional learning, school board and superintendent relations, and executive coaching.

He founded and is the CEO of Revolutionary ED, LLC, an educational consulting firm. He is a nationally recognized education leader, antiracism activist, author, and college professor who unapologetically advocates for equity in education for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).

Already well connected within the SOE community, Hutchings has spoken at school events, discussed his book Getting Into Good Trouble at School: A Guide to Building an Antiracist School System, and shared with students and SOE faculty lessons from his antiracism work. He has contributed his expertise to media outlets, including CNN, WAMU-FM, NPR and as an opinion writer for EdWeek.

Hutchings earned his doctoral degree in educational policy, planning, and leadership from the College of William & Mary. He serves on numerous national boards and is an Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated member.