A New Beginning For A Beloved School

Drew-Freeman Middle School Opens For The 2023-2024 School Year

Story And Photography By Kristina Townsend

The best thing a community can do for its children is provide perfect environments for them to be educated. This year, Prince George’s County decided to do just that with the Blueprint Schools Program. Through this program, six new schools have been added to the county for the 2023-2024 school year.

“What we’re not going to do is continue to hesitate, make excuses, complain, point fingers. We’re going to build schools for children that are reflective of their dignity,” said Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks in addressing the matter as the new school year begins.

One of the six new schools is Drew-Freeman Middle School in Suitland named for blood transfusion developer Dr. Charles R. Drew and Prince George’s County’s science, math and technology advocate Dr. Jesse L. Freeman Jr. in 1960, Drew-Freeman was named Francis Scott Key Junior High School. Today, the school has been rebuilt and relocated so that it shares a campus with Suitland High School.

Born and raised in Washington DC, Drew was an African American surgeon who lived during the early 1900s. He was truly a pioneer of his time, improving techniques for blood storage and developing large-scale blood banks during World War II. He also protested against racial segregation in blood donation.

Dr. Jesse L. Freeman Jr., associate superintendent for personnel of the Prince George's County public school system, was a principal at Francis Scott Key. After his death in 1994, school leaders wanted to change the name in his honor. Because of him, areas of Science, Mathematics, and Technology had been added to the school as well as others in Prince George’s.

When asked what she believed was the significance of the Drew-Freeman’s opening, Principal Natasha Kyler said, “Not only here but [across the] county, we have a lot of soundly structured buildings. However, they are a little old, so some of the needs of the students and the staff are not easily met. [With the Blueprint Schools Program], I feel that we’re getting caught up with the rest of the world by providing more opportunities to really educate our students.”

She also spoke of the new features that were added to the school.

 “The collaboration spaces—that’s something that’s really exciting. [They] allow, not only a different setting, but a more intimate, private setting when we want to talk with groups, when it’s dealing with school for skills, learning skills or just having a social emotional learning time with a group of students. It gives [students] a different atmosphere outside of the classroom so hopefully they can feel a little bit more comfortable in either learning that skill or being more open to exposing themselves and learning different social skills. It is really, really nice to have those learning stairs. I’m excited to see how we’re going to use it.”

Drew-Freeman Middle School Principal Kyler. PHOTO BY KATRINA TOWNSEND

Kyler, like the staff and the representatives of the county, also has high hopes for the future of the school, and she expressed what she hoped would be a highly successful year. “One thing I’m really excited [about] is our production studio. And that is something that is really new in a middle school because that is not common in a middle school. You see that more so in high school[s] because they have TV production class. It’s really awesome to have a STEAM room where we have different ways of tapping into those students who are interested in going into the engineering field, or just want to see what it’s about, and they can deal with something like robotics or just doing innovative things to make an impact on our world.”

To help support the new environment for students and staff, the new superintendent of Prince George’s County Schools, Millard House II, has begun what he has called the 90-Day Entry Plan. This plan includes House visiting schools and meeting with educators, administrators, families, and other people of the county, observing their plans, and offering his own take on what may or may not work for the school system.

“I have developed a First 90 Day transition and entry plan — ‘Planting the Seeds: Listen, Learn, Lead’ — to guide my focus areas as the new superintendent. Since taking the helm of the school system on July 1, my first order of business has been to immerse myself in our diverse community. Over the next few weeks, I will continue to listen and learn, taking account of what is working well, identifying areas for improvement and identifying the steps we need to take to realize our vision of moving PGCPS forward.”