More than two years ago, over 5,000 community members signed a Change.org petition to rename our school.  A renaming committee, consisting of three teachers, Principal Exposito and parents, was created to explore new naming options.  In the Fall of 2022, the committee launched an educational campaign to prepare for the name change vote to coincide with the November midterm elections.  Posters and online resources were provided to teachers and parents to inform students, and voting was held using both paper and online ballots.  When the results were counted, a clear winner emerged.  Our community overwhelming chose to rename our school from Andrew Jackson to Mary W. Jackson.

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Mary W. Jackson was a pioneering mathematician and aerospace engineer who worked at NASA during the 1950s and 1960s.  She was part of a group of black female mathematicians who played a crucial role in the early years of the space program.  Despite facing discrimination and segregation in both her personal and professional life, Jackson persevered and became the first black female engineer at NASA.  Her groundbreaking work helped pave the way for future generations of women and people of color in STEM fields, and her legacy continues to inspire individuals to pursue their dreams and break down barriers.

 

This change reflects our community’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion at Jackson, and we invite you to join us in marking this momentous occasion.  It will be a night filled with fun and entertainment, including music, food and drinks.  We will also have a silent auction with amazing prizes, and all proceeds will go towards supporting Jackson’s mission to provide STEAM education to our students.  By supporting Jackson, you can help us achieve our goal of providing exceptional resources to all of our students.