Chandra Hayes Appointed as Acting Superintendent

Dear ACPS Staff and Families,

The School Board is pleased to share that it has appointed Dr. Chandra Hayes, ACPS Assistant Superintendent of Instruction, as the Acting Superintendent of Albemarle County Public Schools, effective immediately.

This appointment is subject to confirmation by the School Board by a vote in open session at its meeting on July 9. Starting today, Dr. Hayes will have all the duties and powers of a superintendent under Virginia Code and School Board policy. We are grateful to Dr. Hayes for her willingness to step into this role, especially at a time when steady, experienced leadership is so important for our students, staff, families, and schools.

The Board understands that this is an important time for our school division. Recent events have raised serious concerns for many families, staff members, and community members. They have also reinforced the need for strong leadership, clear accountability, open communication, and a continued focus on keeping students safe. As we move forward, our focus remains on supporting our schools, rebuilding trust through action, and keeping students at the center of all decisions we make.

In selecting Dr. Hayes to serve as Acting Superintendent, the Board sought a leader who could provide immediate stability while positioning the division for long-term success. She brings more than 20 years of experience in public education and has a distinguished record of leadership at every level of a school system. She has successfully led organizational change initiatives, overseen complex operations and budgets, strengthened instructional systems, and developed leaders across multiple Virginia school divisions. Her experience extends well beyond ACPS and includes work in urban schools in New York City, suburban school divisions in Central Virginia, and both rural and urban communities.

Before joining ACPS, Dr. Hayes served as Director of Equity and Student Support Services for Chesterfield County Public Schools, where she provided leadership across counseling, school psychology, social work, health services, English as a Second Language, PreK/Head Start, and equity. She also supported division-level crisis recovery planning and worked to strengthen student support systems across the school division.

Dr. Hayes has also served as a middle school principal, high school assistant principal, specialty center coordinator, director of a regional governor’s school, dean of students, and secondary science teacher. In addition to her K-12 leadership experience, she serves as an adjunct professor with New Leaders and Clark Atlanta University, where she teaches, provides feedback, and coaches aspiring school leaders pursuing administrative endorsement through a master’s degree program. She also possesses a deep understanding of ACPS. She knows both the strengths of our division and the challenges we must address together. The Board believes Dr. Hayes offers a unique combination of outside perspective and institutional knowledge, with an ability to lead through complexity, build strong relationships, make thoughtful decisions, and keep organizations focused on their core mission.

At a time when our division needs both stability and forward momentum, we are confident Dr. Hayes’ leadership will serve our community well. This appointment is for the entire 2026-27 school year so that the School Board has the time necessary to conduct a formal search process for a permanent superintendent who will be named within the timeframe outlined in Virginia Code and begin July 1, 2027. During this time, we will establish a process to solicit public input, hear from our teachers, staff, families, students, and our broader community, and gather comprehensive feedback to identify the qualities necessary for our next superintendent to lead ACPS. More details regarding this process and timeline will be shared in future communications.

Together with our School Board colleagues, we are deeply grateful to Dr. Hayes for stepping into this Acting Superintendent role at such an important time for our division. We are fortunate to have a leader of her caliber ready to serve, and we look forward to working with her as we continue the important work of supporting our students, strengthening our schools, and rebuilding confidence in our division.

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Hayes and supporting her as she assumes this important responsibility.

Sincerely,
Rebecca Berlin, Chair
Allison Spillman, Vice Chair
Albemarle County Public Schools