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Who will be Massachusetts' next K-12 school commissioner? Here are the 3 finalists
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Crews are officially breaking ground this morning on a massive new youth sports complex in Dorchester's Harbor Point called the Fieldhouse+. It's a collaboration between the Boys and Girls Club of Dorchester, and the Martin Richard Foundation, and slated to open sometime next year. Take of virtual tour of the design here.
Now to the news:
And then there were three: After over a year of searching, Massachusetts is zeroing in on a new leader to oversee the state's K-12 schools. The three finalists to be the next commissioner of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will sit down for interviews this afternoon with the state's education board, which whittled down a field of over 40 candidates. They plan to make their final pick next week. Here's a look at who made the cut:
- Pedro Martinez: No, not the Red Sox pitcher (for better or worse). Martinez is currently the CEO of Chicago Public Schools. The Mexican-born Chicago native previously served as a superintendent in San Antonio, Texas and Reno, Nevada. Read his cover letter.
- Lily Laux: A native of rural western Massachusetts, Laux spent five years as a deputy education commissioner for the state of Texas. She currently works for Economic Mobility Systems, a nonprofit focused on helping schools and colleges "leverage powerful new technology platforms." Read her cover letter.
- Jack Elsey: Elsey, a former teacher and administrator, founded the Michigan Educator Workforce Initiative, which is a nonprofit focused on addressing the teacher shortage crisis in Michigan. He was also the CEO of the Detroit Children's Fund. Read his cover letter.
Watch: You can actually watch each of the 90-minute interviews, which will run from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m in Wellesley. Click here for the livestream.
- How did we get here? Jeff Riley, the previous DESE commissioner since 2018, stepped down in March 2024 due to personal reasons, and the department's interim leader Russell Johnston left for a superintendent job in the Philadelphia suburbs. (That's led to an unusual situation in which Education Secretary Pat Tutwiler technically has two jobs.)
- What's next: DESE officials are slated to vote on their top pick next Tuesday. The hope is to have a new commissioner in place by the end of the school year.
Funding fallout: Gov. Maura Healey's office says the Trump administration's decision to end a FEMA grant program will result in the loss of $90 million in disaster prevention funds for Massachusetts communities. Marc Draisen, the executive director of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, which helps cities and towns apply for the resiliency grants, told WBUR's John Bender they got no explanation for the decision. "It's almost as though they don't think there needs to be any reasons," he said.
- A total of 18 projects are losing federal funding due to the decision, including $22 million for South Boston's Moakley Park and $50 million for an initiative to protect a food distribution hub in Chelsea and Everett from flooding.
Heads up: The MBTA is drastically cutting — and slowing — Lynn's ferry service for the next two weeks due endangered right whales making appearances in the middle of the route. Through April 29, there will be only three Lynn ferry trips a day: two morning ferries departing Lynn and one return trip from Boston in the evening. Also, the T also estimates the trips will take 90 minutes instead of the usual 40 minutes.
- The reason? Right whales were recently spotted in Lynn's Broad Sound. "These whales often swim at or just below the surface, making them vulnerable to fast-moving vessels," T officials said, noting boat strikes are a leading cause of death for right whales. No other MBTA ferry routes are affected.
PSA: Ahead of the May 7 deadline, the RMV is now accepting REAL ID walk-ins for people who urgently need to upgrade their license. The walk-in appointments are available at all RMV service centers, but only for people who do not already have valid form of federally acceptable ID and "have travel plans scheduled in the near future."
- Just remember to bring all the required documents: proof of lawful presence (think passport, birth certificate, green card), two documents proving Massachusetts residency and proof of a full Social Security Number. Here's a checklist of which documents qualify for each category.
P.S.— This week, On Point has been airing a special series about boy's education. By every metric, American boys are falling behind in academics as early as 8 years old. It’s a gap that only grows as those boys become men. On Point's series, Falling Behind: The Miseducation of America's Boys, explores what’s behind the gap and what can be done about it. Click here to listen to the first three episodes.
