Commissioner Driscoll's Retirement Speech

Today I am announcing that I will be retiring as Commissioner of Education for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as of August 31st 2007. This will mark 43 years for me as a Massachusetts educator. My wife Kathy and I made this decision several months ago and she plans to retire next fall also. I am making the announcement ten months in advance in order to allow the Board of Education and the new Administration ample time to conduct a comprehensive, broad search and involve various constituencies in the screening and selection process. Massachusetts is one of a few states where Governors choose Board of Education members over time. This can help to assure a bi-partisan if not a non-partisan process. I look forward to working with the Board and other state leaders to assure an effective process that hopefully will result in the naming of a new Commissioner in late spring or early summer, allowing a period for transition. I have been most fortunate in my career to be able to advance from a classroom teacher of mathematics at Western Junior High School in 1964 to Commissioner of Education in 1999. Over those years I have had many mentors and colleagues who have helped me grow and understand the importance of always trying to place the needs of students as the top priority. I was also fortunate to come along at a time when Education Reform in Massachusetts was concluding a very successful implementation stage thanks to the great leadership of Bob Antonucci and to begin the next phase under the leadership of Board Chairman, Jim Peyser. Jim and I are very different in personality and started from very different perspectives but we found a way to put aside those differences and develop a common plan and agenda to focus on the improvement of student achievement. The results speak for themselves. I believe we would all be better off in this age of Blue and Red States if we found ways in the political arena to cooperate rather than waste so much time bickering over unproductive ideology. It certainly should be in the field of education that we are willing to explore different viewpoints and develop common understandings based on facts. My tenure will undoubtedly be defined largely in the implementation of our state standards and assessment. During my Commissionership, there has been a major focus on the curriculum frameworks and assessment. In particular, the MCAS testing program has dominated my time in office. While I have always understood the sincere emotion that was expressed by many that testing could harm certain students, I have been emboldened by the results and the undeniable fact that students are graduating from high school with higher skill levels in math and English then they were prior to Education Reform. I regret that I was not more successful in dispelling the erroneous claim that MCAS caused the dropout rate to go up. I also wish the fairness and reasonableness of the graduation standard and our performance appeals system were more widely recognized. My final regret is that I was not able to generate a stronger sense of urgency among parents and the general public as to the educational crisis we are facing. Nationally - and it is not much better here - 50% of our Black and Hispanic students do not finish high school and only about 35% of our students earn a college degree (either bachelor's or associate's) within 6 years after high school. This is all happening at a time when most other countries are experiencing dramatically better academic results. Unless we take decisive action, this is likely to be the first generation of Americans that is less educated and less healthy than the previous generation. Much of the success we have experienced in MCAS scores, SAT and ACT results and leading the country on the National Assessment test, has resulted from mandates - the "stick" approach. We have compelled districts, schools and students to adhere to our standards and prepare for our assessments. Much of the criticism of our testing program is based on the belief that it has caused "teaching to the test" and boring drill lessons in classrooms. While that is happening in some places, it is not the fault of the test. It comes from adults who operate out of fear. I have had the privilege of visiting literally hundreds of classrooms where creative, hard-working teachers make our standards come alive in engaging and motivating activities. Nonetheless, I do believe my successor will need to seek a balance of sticks and carrots and strengthen the focus on the social, emotional and physical aspects of children's growth and development. Most importantly, we have to keep in mind the great tradition, spirit and excellence that has made the state the leader in public education for the nation. It is the spirit of John Adams and Horace Mann that we continue to advocate for the growth and development of our children. The very words of John Adams in our State Constitution call on us to "cherish" the education of the young people of the Commonwealth. And it is in the spirit of a Commonwealth that we all come together as adults, whether we are directly involved with the field of education or not, to advance this cause of the sound preparation of the next generation. It is in this spirit that we must all dedicate ourselves as those before us have done so nobly.



Last Updated: November 1, 2006



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