Renaming of Schools

Renaming Schools

Summary of the Identity Project

• The Identity Project was established to broaden the education and engagement around the consideration of a name change for T.C. Williams High School to Alexandria City High School and

Matthew Maury Elementary School to Naomi L. Brooks, and have both conversations at the same time. This streamlined and aligned the process while recognizing the need for separate considerations and forums in the ACPS community. • The School Board voted unanimously on Nov. 23, 2020, to change the names of both schools • Three student conversations had 1,518 total views. • 100% of students at T.C. Williams and Maury participated in teacher-led classroom discussions around the history of their school and the name changes. • The Identity Project survey received 3,198 responses. • 34% of all survey responses came from students. • The Phase One process resulted in 75% of the community agreeing to change the name of T.C. Williams High School and 72% of the community agreeing to change the name of Matthew

Maury Elementary School. • Phase Two invited the community to submit new names for both schools, resulting in close to 15,000 submissions. • The School Board voted on April 8, 2021, and selected new names for both schools.

Accomplishments

• The Matthew Maury Elementary School (renamed Naomi L.

Brooks Elementary School in July 2021) logo was designed by student artist Noa Organek. • Two tenth grade students, Marie Hubbard and Kim-Anh

Aslanian, created the new logo design concepts for

Alexandria City High School.

About Naomi L. Brooks

Naomi Lewis Brooks (deceased 2020) was “The Natural” as she led a truly charmed life from very humble beginnings in “seminary mudtown” to an 85-year-old dynamic matriarch of one of this country’s most famous families. After attending the Seminary School for Colored Children, on the site where Alexandria City High School stands, she rode the city bus to Lyles-Crouch Elementary School and ParkerGray High School (PGHS). Ms. Lewis (Brooks) graduated second in her class from the segregated all-Black PGHS in 1951. Not only was she a strong student, graduating with honors from PGHS, she was also a star athlete. She was a starting forward on the girls’ basketball team and earned the school record for the most points scored in a season and the most points scored in a single game.

After high school, Ms. Lewis (Brooks) earned her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Virginia State College (now Virginia State University), charting her course as an educator. She accepted a teaching position at Charles Houston Elementary School in 1955 and would go on to earn an M.E. in Elementary Education from VSU. She later also taught at Cora Kelly Elementary School. Her elementary and adult teaching career spanned 25 years. Mrs. Brooks always “bloomed where planted,” having moved frequently as a military family, and made a difference in every location by educating her own children, students and even soldiers.