By Niels Baardseth · Published June 22, 2026

DCPS Chancellor Lewis Ferebee Steps Down (2026) — His Record, Why He Left, and Who's Next

Dr. Lewis D. Ferebee, the longest-serving chancellor in the history of DC Public Schools, left the district on June 19, 2026. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced his departure on May 20, and named a longtime DCPS educator, Dr. Kim Jackson, as interim chancellor.

This is a plain-language summary of who Ferebee was, what his tenure delivered, why he left, and what the leadership change means for DC families heading into the 2026-27 school year. Every figure links to its source.

Why he left

Ferebee was not pushed out and did not retire. He left to become CEO of EdReports, a national nonprofit that reviews K-12 curriculum and instructional materials. He framed it as a chance to work "at a national level and to influence the conversation around high-quality instructional materials," per NBC4 Washington. He was selected after a nationwide search and succeeds EdReports' founding CEO, Eric Hirsch.

How long he led DCPS

Mayor Bowser appointed Ferebee in 2018, and the DC Council confirmed him in early 2019 — about eight years at the helm, making him the longest-serving chancellor in DCPS history. Before DC, he was superintendent of Indianapolis Public Schools, and he began his career as a teacher and principal in North Carolina (The 74). He replaced Antwan Wilson, who resigned in a 2018 scandal over his daughter's school transfer.

His record, by the numbers

Graduation rate: 78%, up from 65% when he joined (WTOP).
Enrollment: about 52,000 students — described by the mayor's office as the highest in the city's history (NBC4).
#1 in the nation for academic recovery: a Harvard CEPR Education Recovery Scorecard released May 13, 2026 ranked DC first of 38 states in math growth and first of 35 in reading growth from 2022 to 2025. The same data shows students remain modestly below 2019 levels (math about 0.4 grade-equivalents below, reading about 0.15 below), so this is recovery, not yet a full rebound.
AP honor roll: 10 DCPS high schools made the College Board's 2025 AP School Honor Roll (NBC4).
The cellphone ban: he championed the bell-to-bell phone-free policy that took effect for 2025-26.
COVID reopening: he led DCPS through the pandemic, and DC was among the first big districts to reopen for in-person learning (WTOP).

The criticism side is real too. Throughout his tenure, WJLA reports, Ferebee faced persistent pressure over chronic absenteeism and wide achievement gaps between schools and neighborhoods — the same gaps visible in DC's test-score data.

Who is running DCPS now

Mayor Bowser named Dr. Kim Jackson as interim chancellor (Fox5 DC). Jackson has been with DCPS since 2012, was named the district's Principal of the Year in 2015 while leading Seaton Elementary, and most recently served as Chief of Elementary Schools. Bowser called her "another lifelong educator at the helm of DCPS."

What the change means for families

The bigger story is timing. Mayor Bowser is not seeking a fourth term, and Janeese Lewis George won the June 2026 Democratic mayoral primary — effectively deciding the next mayor in heavily Democratic DC. During the campaign, the mayoral candidates signaled they would not keep Ferebee long-term, with priorities centered on early literacy, attendance, teacher retention, and special education. That means the permanent chancellor choice will likely fall to the incoming administration, not the current one.

For now, the practical takeaways for DC families are simple: day-to-day operations continue under interim chancellor Jackson, the phone-free policy and existing calendar stay in place, and the next mayor will shape DCPS's longer-term direction. The 2026-27 lottery results and enrollment trends are unchanged by the leadership move.

Sources

Published June 22, 2026.