Washington-Lee High School Renaming Committee Recommendation December 20, 2018
Arlington School Board Direction – June 7, 2018 Approve recommendation for renaming Washington-Lee High School because Robert E. Lee’s name does not meet the with the newly- adopted APS School Naming Criteria. Direct the Superintendent to identify members of the Washington-Lee High School Re-Naming Committee by September 2018. Renaming Committee will be charged to work through the fall of 2018 and to submit a recommendation for a new name (and alternative) for Washington-Lee by December 2018. 2
Forming the Renaming Committee: Summer 2018 Online Application Form for the Renaming Committee: “Arlington Public Schools is accepting applications from members of the Washington-Lee community who are interested in serving on the Renaming Committee … .. The Renaming Committee will meet weekday evenings this fall to develop a recommendation for a new name for Washington-Lee High School. If you wish to be a member of the Renaming Committee, please fill out this form.” 170 applications received Random, double-blind lottery held to select representatives for each group Washington-Lee Student Government Co-Presidents conducted lottery for student, parent, alumni representatives School Board approval on September 7, 2018 3
Renaming Committee Members W-L S W- Staff Pa Parents nts * Gregg Robertson Patrice Kelly (11/29/18) Hiromi Isobe Allison Chen Jacqueline Stallworth Duane Butcher Dave Peters Civic Associations Civic Associations St Student udents * Allan Gajadhar (Cherrydale) Thornton Thomas (9) * Nikki Roy (Lyon Park) Regina Santos-Caballero (10) George Keating (Waverly Hills) * Chloe Slater (11) * James Rosen (Ballston-Va. Square) * John Holt (12) Community R Community Representativ presentatives Alum Alumni ni Melissa Perry (Arlington Civic Coalition/ Minority Affairs Wm. Moser (1952-70) (12/3/18) George Axiotis (Arlington Historical Society) Julia Crull (1971-85) Abstained Suppor Support ( (non-v on-vot oting*) ing*) * Peter Strack (1986 – 2005) Sian Madden (Facilitator) Dana Raphael (2006-18) * Presenters * Linda Erdos (Staff Liaison) 4
Committee Facilitator Certified Professional Facilitator sought through the Mid-Atlantic Facilitators Network and the International Association of Facilitators (IAF) 11 Proposals Received Sian Madden Selected 20 years experience in South Africa and USA Certified Professional Facilitator (IAF) Certified Master Gestalt OD Practitioner Certified Systems & Constellations Coach Completing M.S. in Organizational Development Annapolis, Md. Resident 5
Committ Committee Pr e Process and F ocess and Feedback edback W-L Renaming • Reviewed Naming Policy Criteria Committee • Discussed options for constituent input • Solicited initial feedback to identify potential names Meetings: • Reviewed input from the “Engage” online forms (over 750 emails Oct. 11 • Started with 57 name suggestions Oct. 16 • Narrowed the list to 5 by consensus based on Naming Policy Criteria Oct. 30 APS Mission, Vision and Core Values Members’ values Nov. 14 • Committee members wrote rationale for each finalist name to share at final meeting Nov. 29 • Members voted by secret ballot to select final recommendation and alternate names 6
Stakeholder Engagement “Engage with APS” Online Form Community Outreach WL Alumni “APS School Talk” Message Staff Families Suggestion Box at all Committee Meetings 7
Student Engagement With Current W-L Students: Student announcements WL Student meetings Student Council Assn. (SCA) Athletic Council Principal’s Advisory Council Engagement with students in class IB Student Advisory Council Grade Level Student Advisory Committees 8
Key Themes & Discussions What is the charge for the committee’s work? Grappling with the “myth” of Lee How should the committee consider advocacy for “no name change?” How could we reach younger graduates who are not members of the Alumni groups? Would choosing “another Lee” represent a “name change?” Should the committee consider the cost of the name change? Can the committee recommend names to keep the “W-L” acronym? 9
Acknowledging Community Feedback Changing the Name Some proposed changes and alternatives Some preferred W-L acronym but a different “L” (e.g., Lincoln) Some preferred W-L but a different “Lee” (e.g., “Light-Horse Harry”) Many wanted to keep the current name Themes from “Engage with APS” Many were upset with the process and vented frustration Some worried about the impact to the school’s reputation Many worried about cost considerations Many worried about rewriting history Some supported pursuit of ways to teach/confront difficult history lessons 10
Narrowing the List of Suggested Names Semi-f Semi-finalist List Semi-f Semi-finalist List inalist List inalist List Finalist List Finalist List Finalist List Finalist List Arlington-Central Washington-Lee Washington-Lafayette (James) (William/Billy Lee) Washington-Lee (Lighthorse Harry) Washington-Lee (William/Billy) Washington-Liberty Washington-Liberty Washington-Lincoln Washington-Lincoln Washington-Loving Washington-Loving Washington (Booker T.)-Loving Washington-Tubman Washington-Tubman W-L (just the initials) 11
Committee Recommendation: Washington-Loving High School Continue to honor George Washington as a founding father of our nation. Loving v. Virginia is a very clear representation of the progress our society has made since then. o The name represents inclusion, acceptance, and the pursuit of happiness. o It represents many students at Washington-Lee High School, arguably one of the top most diverse APS schools. o It also represents the focus of the IB program which celebrates the global diversity of our world o It turns the school’s name from a negative connotation into something that is positive and part of our state’s history. Mildred a ldred and R d Rich char ard L d Loving ving The Lovings impacted Virginia in all the Lo Lovin ving v v, Virgin Virginia ia – – 1967 1967 landmark civil right ways. rights decision of the U.S. Supreme Court struck down all state laws banning interracial marriage 12
Committee Recommendation (cont’d): Washington-Loving High School Richard Perry Loving (1933 – 1975) Mildred Delores Loving (1929 – 2008) Their “Principal Legacy” Evokes the APS emphasis on equality and reminds the community of the APS Mission “to ensure all students learn and thrive.” Their successful fight to overcome racial barriers serves as a reminder to the APS Vision “to be an inclusive community.” Their courageous example aligns with the APS Core Values and beliefs of “equity, inclusivity and integrity.” The nature of their struggle also speaks directly to the diverse community that APS and Washington-Lee serves. The Loving name does not duplicate the name of any other school in our region. 13
Alternate Choice: Washington-Liberty High School From Civil W om Civil War t r to Civil Rights; Civil Rights; Liber Liberty wa was t s the c e central t ntral theme o eme of o our c r committ mmittee’s wo ee’s work rk Liberty denied (slavery, Civil War, Restoration, Jim Crow, segregation, tools of oppression) Liberty sought (inalienable, civil rights ‐ free speech, voting, assembly, marriage, expression) Explored symbols and representations of liberty (people and aspirations) Ac Acknowledged t knowledged the d e different c erent choice ces m s made b de by W Washingt shington and Lee ( on and Lee ( principal legacies principal legacies ) George Washington chose to leave his home state to lead the Continental Army against an oppressive monarchy and served as the first leader of our new nation. Robert E. Lee chose to leave his country (after 32 years) to lead his home state in rebellion against the United States Affirmed firmed W Washingt shington a on and re replaced L placed Lee w ee with a h a s symbol o mbol of h hope pe Positive symbolism is critical; replace a bastion of hate with a beacon of hope Symmetry of George Washington ( Father of His Country ) and Lady Liberty ( Mother of Exiles , Mother of Her People ) 14
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