Arlington School Board Appoints APS Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer

The Arlington School Board has appointed Arron Gregory as the new Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer for Arlington Public Schools (APS). He will assume the new role on January 16, 2020. Gregory will join APS from the Trotwood-Madison City School District in Trotwood, Ohio, where he serves as Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

“The search committee considered a strong lineup of candidates, and after an extensive interview process, we are delighted to welcome Arron Greggory to our team,” said Interim Superintendent Cintia Johnson. “Arron’s educational leadership and expertise will be critical to advancing our goals for diversity, equity and inclusion and providing learning and working environments that are more inclusive for all. Arron will have the full support of our leadership team and staff as he leads this work.”

“This appointment is a key priority for the School Board, as we continue to work toward Division-wide goals of equity, inclusion and the elimination of opportunity gaps,” said School Board Chair Tannia Talento. “Arron has the skills and experience that APS needs to cultivate a culture of equity and inclusion in our system of schools and the School Board looks forward to working with him and supporting him in his new role as our Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer.”

As Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, Gregory will report directly to the Interim Superintendent and will serve on the Executive Leadership Team. He will lead the development and implementation of a Division-wide strategic plan to systematically advance diversity, equity and inclusion across all APS schools and departments.

Gregory brings over 18 years of experience in education with the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) including the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio. As Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion for Trotwood-Madison City Schools, his responsibilities included leading the development and implementation of proactive diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, which support the APS strategic plan.

Additionally, his experience includes working with urban, suburban, and rural school districts around the state of Ohio to identify and close achievement gaps by utilizing the Ohio Improvement Process. This work included embedding social justice and culturally relevant pedagogy to change adult behaviors and increase student achievement.

During his 14 year tenure with the ODE, Gregory led the Ohio Achievement Gap Task Force that was charged with preparing detailed recommendations on how ODE should use its resources to drive change to assist in eliminating the achievement gap for all students by examining: cultural competency, policy, instructional practices, assessment issues, teacher preparation and professional development, and the Schools of Promise framework.

While at ODE, Gregory served as the ESEA Improvement School Liaison for the Office of Improvement & Innovation. In this position, he oversaw the monitoring and support for nearly 600 Improvement Schools to implement best practices that lead to student success and closing achievement gaps.

Gregory holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Bachelor of Arts in Political Science/Pre-Law from Central State University in Ohio. He received his Juris Doctor in employment law concentration from Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio.