At the helm since 2019, an unusually long tenure for an , Ferebee led DCPS through the pandemic and leaves at a time of historic increases in student performance. Last week, researchers for the Education Scorecard as the district that had made the greatest gains in both math and reading since the pandemic.

“High quality instructional materials have always been a part of the way that I thought about improving student achievement,” said Ferebee, who previously led the Indianapolis Public Schools and began his career as a teacher and principal in North Carolina. “This is a remarkable opportunity to take that to scale nationally.”

Under Ferebee’s leadership, D.C. schools have experienced “meaningful progress,” according to a by the D.C. Policy Center. has risen to 52,000, up from the pre-pandemic level of 49,000, even as other urban districts suffered continued declines. On the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress, fourth graders improved 10 points in math, for large cities. While the district continues to battle high — nearly 38% in 2024-25 — it implemented a that has contributed to a rebound. In an interview with Âé¶čŸ«Æ·, Ferebee said he expects the district to “build on that momentum and contribute nationally to the whole recovery narrative.” 

He will remain with DCPS until June 18 and assume his new role the following week. With D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser for re-election, a new mayor will choose his replacement.

The leader of a parent advocacy group in the district said Ferebee has always considered parents’ input, something she hopes the future mayor will consider when looking for a new chancellor.

“This is the most stable period of leadership that we’ve seen in the district in quite a while,” said Maya Martin Cadogan, executive director of Parents Amplifying Voices in Education. “In a city where so many of our families have housing instability and economic instability, to have stability in our school system has been really critical.”

As the successor to EdReports’ founder Eric Hirsch, Ferebee will join the organization at a time of change. It recently began reviewing pre-K curriculum and adopted through 2029 that aims to produce more timely reviews and information about the research behind curriculum products. Dana Nerenberg, EdReports board chair, called Ferebee “the right fit in all the right ways.”

Hirsch, who announced his resignation last year, launched the nonprofit in 2015 to help point districts toward materials aligned to the Common Core standards that the majority of states still follow. Experts said independent reviews were needed at the time as an alternative to curriculum publishers’ promotional materials. Many district and state leaders continue to base their curriculum purchasing decisions on whether a product gets the coveted green rating from EdReports.

But with the growing emphasis on the role of curriculum in driving student achievement, some critics said the organization didn’t adapt quickly enough. Reviews, they argued, didn’t emphasize phonics-based, foundational skills and gave lower, yellow ratings for reading they helped students improve. EdReports has since revised its criteria to emphasize the science of reading.

Kareem Weaver, founder of FULCRUM, an Oakland-based literacy advocacy group, said Ferebee faces a huge responsibility.

“The shifts that the education field is demanding have become a matter of civil rights. Including evidence of results in their reviews is no small thing,” he said. “Parents, teachers, principals, superintendents, kids want to know, ‘Does this stuff work?’ ”

He called Ferebee “a good choice” because he has “his feet planted in the ground as a system leader.”

Ferebee replaced former Chancellor Antwan Wilson, who following a scandal involving his daughter’s transfer into a sought-after high school with a long waitlist. found that his predecessor, Kaya Henderson, gave the children of some government officials special treatment in the school lottery process. 

But her resignation in 2016 was unrelated to that issue, and during her nearly six years in charge, the district saw increasing enrollment and graduation rates. 

“They have this history of long-time superintendents who have built on the work of each other,” said Ray Hart, executive director of the Council of the Great City Schools. 

Cadogan, who leads the parent advocacy group, pointed to the expansion of dual enrollment programs and the , which trains teachers in evidence-based literacy practices, as examples of innovations she wants the new mayor to continue. 

But significant challenges remain. In scores on reading, 37.6% of students performed in the proficient range, the highest point since the test began. But less than 30% of Black students scored at that level. The difference in performance between poor and more affluent students is even larger. The next leader will also inherit an with the federal government to improve services for students with disabilities, especially transportation. 

“Parents are really proud of the progress we’ve made,” Cadogan said, “but there are still so many gaps between our students.”