Dr. Francisco Durán is superintendent of Arlington Public Schools in Virginia. He has a diverse background in education, spanning 31 years in various large, urban school districts. A bilingual educator, he began his career as a special education assistant and later served as a middle school language arts and social studies teacher.

He went on to hold administrative and leadership roles in the San Francisco Unified School District; served as a regional superintendent in the School District of Philadelphia; was chief academic and equity officer in Fairfax County, Virginia; and served as superintendent of Trenton Public Schools in New Jersey. Dr. Durán is also an adjunct professor at George Mason University and Howard University.

On May 7, 2020, the Arlington School Board appointed Dr. Durán as superintendent. He was reappointed to a second four-year term on July 1, 2023.

In 2018, he was appointed to a four-year term on the Virginia State Board of Education, where he played a key role in the adoption of new Standards of Quality for the state.

Dr. Durán has been a lifelong champion for students of color, English learners, students with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ youth, and for increasing the number of women and people of color in leadership roles. While in Fairfax County, he helped develop and implement the One Fairfax policy—a joint social and racial equity initiative with Fairfax County government—aimed at closing opportunity, access and achievement gaps.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of New Mexico; a master’s degree in educational administration from San Francisco State University; and both a master’s degree and a doctorate in organization and leadership from Columbia University.