Dr. Lewis D. Ferebee is the longest-serving Chancellor in the history of DC Public Schools (DCPS), appointed by Mayor Muriel Bowser in 2018. Bringing more than two decades of educational leadership experience to the nation’s capital, he has guided the district through a period of historic transformation and sustained academic growth.
Central to Chancellor Ferebee’s vision is the district’s Strategic Plan: A Capital Commitment 2023–2028. This five-year road map focuses the work of school-based educators and leadership and Central Services supports to three strategic priorities: ensuring students succeed academically, feel connected to their school, and are prepared for every transition in their educational journey. His innovative and steady leadership continues to advance DCPS toward a future where every student has access to a high-quality, equitable education.
Under his leadership, DCPS has continued its trajectory as the fastest improving urban district in the country—achieving the greatest gains in fourth-grade mathematics among large-city districts, according to the 2024 Nation’s Report Card. The district also achieved monumental gains on the 2024–2025 statewide DC CAPE assessment, marking the highest annual increases in literacy and math proficiency since the pandemic and the greatest year-over-year improvement in math in the history of the assessment.
Chancellor Ferebee led DCPS through the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, prioritizing the health and safety of students and staff while ensuring a smooth and equitable return to in-person learning. As many surrounding jurisdictions experienced public school enrollment declines, DCPS's enrollment surpassed 52,000 students—the highest in nearly two decades.
During Chancellor Ferebee’s tenure, DCPS has seen a 12% increase in graduation rates and received national recognition by Harvard and Stanford Universities as a leader in post-pandemic academic recovery. Chancellor Ferebee has also strengthened collaboration with labor partners, successfully negotiating multiple union contracts that have enhanced teacher compensation, expanded supports for staff, and deepened trust across with school communities across Washington, DC.
Before joining DCPS, Dr. Ferebee served as Superintendent of Indianapolis Public Schools beginning in 2013, where he led turnaround efforts for underperforming schools, implemented a student-based budgeting model, and increased graduation rates, particularly for Black and Hispanic students. He previously served as Chief of Staff for Durham Public Schools, where he reduced the number of state-designated “low-performing” schools to zero. Prior to Durham, he worked for Guilford County Schools in North Carolina as a principal, where he was named Principal of the Year, before serving as an Instructional Improvement Officer and Regional Superintendent.
Dr. Ferebee earned a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from East Carolina University, a Master of Education in School Administration from The George Washington University Graduate School of Education and Human Development (GSEHD), and a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from North Carolina Central University. He has been recognized among Education Week’s Leaders to Learn From, received Marian University’s John A. Purdie Innovator and Mentor of the Year Award, and delivered the 2025 commencement address for GSEHD, his graduate alma mater.
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