Douglas S. Freeman High School
Douglas S. Freeman High School is an American educational institution located in the western part of Virginia's Henrico County. History. Part of Henrico County Public Schools system, the institution is named for Pulitzer Prize-winning Virginia author, newspaper editor, historian and pioneering radio broadcaster Douglas Southall Freeman (1886–1953). It opened in 1954, slightly more than one year after Freeman's death. Academics. The principal of the school is John Marshall. Henrico County runs a system in which each high school contains a specialty center, a separate but integrated entity within the school that functions  as a magnet program. The centers offer advanced courses to students who have clear interests and specific educational and/or career goals. Douglas Freeman High School's center is the Center for Leadership, Government and Global Economics, led by Robert Peck. Athletics. Freeman is a member of the Virginia High School League. It competes in the 5A Central Region and 5A Colonial District. The school colors are blue and gray and the teams are nicknamed the "Mavericks". The colors and mascot were devised as a tribute to Douglas Freeman's extensive study of the Civil War. Virginia High School League AAA  State Championship teams. The boys' volleyball team were VHSL AAA State semi-finalists in 2011 and 2012. The girls' soccer team was in the state tournament in 2013. The baseball team won the last Central Region championship in 2013, and as a result advanced to the state tournament. Media. The school publishes a newspaper ("The Commentator"), a literary magazine ("The Educator"), and a yearbook ("The Historian"). Douglas Freeman High School was mentioned in a "Washington Post" article referring to the school's revival of the historic "Rebel Man" mascot. In popular culture. James E. Ryan's book "Five Miles Away , A World Apart: One City, Two Schools, and the Story of Educational Opportunity in Modern America" explores the issue of economic school segregation by comparing Freeman to nearby Thomas Jefferson High School, located in the city of Richmond. Arguing for more freedom in school choice, Ryan cites findings that "high-poverty" schools (like Thomas Jefferson) consistently under-perform "low-poverty" schools (like Freeman) academically, regardless of the financial resources allocated to them. He concludes: "The truth is that separating the poor and politically powerless in their own schools and districts is antithetical to the idea of equal educational opportunity." Douglas