March 25, 2019
Dear DCPS Community,
I am excited to share that DCPS has proposed to the DC Council that New North Middle School, which will open in School Year 2019-2020, be named Ida B. Wells Middle School. This decision comes after an extensive engagement process that included online surveys, school visits, and community meetings that began last summer and concluded last fall with over 450 community members. I would like to thank each member of our DCPS community who contributed to this effort with your feedback and input.
Ida B. Wells (1862 – 1931) was an iconic African-American investigative journalist, civil rights activist, educator, and researcher. Today marks 88 years to the day of her passing and we are excited to honor and continue her legacy in DCPS. As a lifelong fighter for justice, she dedicated much of her career to investigating and reporting the truth about the brutality of lynching and the disgraceful conditions of black-only schools in the United States. She fought against discriminatory hiring and was an advocate for women’s suffrage. Ida B. Wells Middle School will be DCPS’ only current standalone middle school named after an African-American woman. This is an important milestone for DCPS and one that reflects our values of courage, equity, and excellence.
This proposal is informed by several months of public engagement. Nominations collected from the general public were carefully reviewed by parents, students, teachers, Coolidge HS alumni, and community members to help determine the finalists. Our proposed name has been submitted to DC Council and, as a next step, will be submitted to the DC Registry for final action. To learn more about the naming process and the exciting program planned for the school, please visit newnorthms.org.
Sincerely,
Dr. Lewis D. Ferebee
Chancellor
DC Public Schools
DCPS School Planning 