Darin A. Thompson

Darin A. Thompson

Darin A. Thompson, PhD, is a veteran K–12 leader with nearly 20 years of experience. He has led transformative school improvement efforts across multiple school divisions, resulting in double-digit gains in student outcomes and a significant narrowing of achievement gaps for historically underserved populations.

A two-time outstanding principal of the year semi-finalist for Fairfax County Public Schools, Region 6, Dr. Thompson has become a trusted voice in educational leadership. He has delivered professional development workshops on building constructive school cultures for improvement at major conferences, including the 2024 and 2025 Virginia Alliance of Black School Educators Conference, the 2025 National Association of Secondary School Principals United Conference, and the Southern Regional Education Board’s Making Schools Work Conference.

His thought leadership has been featured in Education Week, including the articles “How My School Is Fighting the Surge in Chronic Absenteeism” and “How Pandemic Isolation Damaged School Culture”—and he has also published in the Journal of Urban Learning, Teaching, and Research and is a contributing author of Preparing to Lead: Narratives of Aspiring School Leaders in a “Post”-COVID World.

Dr. Thompson earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, a master of public administration from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a master’s degree and a doctorate in educational leadership from Regent University. He is also a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.