Lewis Ferebee has been named the new D.C. Public Schools chancellor following an extensive search that officially kicked off this summer.
Ferebee will come to D.C. from Indianapolis Public Schools, where he’s served as superintendent since 2013. He reportedly beat out over 40 other applicants for the job in D.C., including Interim Schools Chancellor Amanda Alexander. Ferebee will be a disappointment to residents hoping for a chancellor with D.C. roots.
Similar to Mayor Muriel Bowser’s choice for Deputy Mayor of Education Paul Kihn, Ferebee is on-record saying he strongly believes district and charter schools should collaborate, not compete.
Ferebee has received national attention for his unique strategies turning around troubled public schools.
Lewis Ferebee has been superintendent of Indianapolis Public Schools since 2013.Eric Weddle / WFYI News
His work in Indiana has been described as “ambitious.” Together with Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, Ferebee was instrumental in passing the Innovation Network School law in 2014, creating a group where low-performing district schools were given over to charter groups for management, but still remained as part of the district.
The effort was designed to give principals more autonomy and accountability over how they wanted to improve schools by establishing them as 501(c)(3)’s governed by a board in contract with the district. The school principals then were allowed to control new hires, pay raises and curriculum changes. They essentially had “full operational autonomy.”
Today the district has about 20 “innovation schools.” Brandon Brown is the CEO of The Mind Trust, an Indianapolis-based education nonprofit that has worked closely with Ferebee on his efforts to overhaul the district. Brown says though Ferebee has positive quantifiable results, it’s too early to judge the success of the innovation network.
“While he’s leaving before all the work was done and we’re not at a point where we can celebrate total success, [Ferebee] is leaving a legacy where schools … have shown tremendous progress,” Brown says.
The Indianapolis Teacher’s Association reportedly had contentious interactions with Ferebee. Association officials say innovation schools no longer have union contracts, effectively making teachers lose their union bargaining power.
Former D.C.P.S. Chancellor Antwan Wilson resigned in February following reports that he circumvented the school lottery system to transfer his daughter between schools.
Ferebee was also reportedly a finalist to take over the L.A. Public School District but withdrew his name earlier this year.
This story originally appeared at WAMU.
