Johnston to serve as interim education commissioner

Deputy Education Commissioner Russell Johnston will temporarily take over running the state's K-12 education department after Commissioner Jeff Riley steps down next month, concluding six years on the job.

The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education unanimously voted Tuesday to recommend Johnston to Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler, who makes the final appointment. Tutwiler promptly approved the board's recommendation, and Johnston will begin leading the department on March 15 following Riley's departure.

Johnston has had a lengthy education career, much of it revolving around special education. He served as a special ed teacher and administrator, as well as the superintendent of West Springfield Public Schools before joining DESE. Among other roles at the department, he served as an ombudsman during efforts to implement the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Johnston will earn an annual salary of $246,636. The board will discuss the process to select a permanent commissioner at their March 26 meeting.

Riley announced earlier this month that he planned to leave the department after leading the state's schools through the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of the Student Opportunity Act and historic levels of federal grants.

The commissioner wrote in his resignation letter that it was "the right time for me to pass the baton."

"On a personal level, my role as a son to aging parents requires more of my time, and my commitment to provide that support is not compatible with the demands of the Commissioner's job," he said. "More broadly, as I reflected on major new initiatives such as the Literacy Launch, I realized the Commonwealth needs and deserves a Commissioner who can commit on an all-in basis for at least another five years, and I simply cannot do that."