Mitchell Chester was commissioner of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education from May 2008 until his untimely death from an illness in June 2017.
Commissioner Chester began his career as an elementary school teacher in Connecticut and became a middle school assistant principal and district curriculum coordinator before joining the Connecticut State Department of Education, where he oversaw curriculum and instructional programs. In 1997, he was named the executive director for accountability and assessment for Philadelphia, and in 2001, he moved to Ohio, where he served as the senior associate superintendent for policy and accountability for the Ohio Department of Education.
During his time in Massachusetts, Commissioner Chester oversaw efforts to update learning standards and statewide assessments and improve the lowest performing districts.