Office of the Commissioner

Commissioner's Back-to-School Update

Fall 2025

Welcome to the new school year! It has been a pleasure to visit several districts on their opening day, and I want you to know how excited I am to see schools in action and to support your work. I became commissioner in July, and 2025-26 is my first school year in Massachusetts. I am going on a listening tour this fall, and I hope to visit many of you to see first-hand what is happening in your schools.

I am thrilled to be in a state with such a strong commitment to education. I will focus both on building on that success and on closing opportunity gaps so that all Massachusetts students are successful. I look forward to working with you to address these gaps in all their facets, from early literacy to enrollment in advanced courses in high school. We're off to a strong start, with Literacy Launch and historic investments in early literacy instruction and tutoring this fall.

Another important focus this year will be the work of the Statewide Graduation Council as it develops the Massachusetts Vision of a Graduate. I want to see more students graduate having already taken steps toward post-secondary life. We know that career technical education programs help students earn career credentials even before they graduate, and Early College gives students the chance to earn college credits for free, also before high school graduation.

The state's $100 million investment in career technical education schools is expected to add at least 3,000 career technical education seats over the next three years, and Early College is expected to attract approximately 10,000 students from 69 high schools this year. This is great work, and I look forward to seeing it grow.

Other continuing work this year includes efforts to support consistent student attendance through the Your Presence is Powerful initiative. We know many of you are working on this issue, and we hope to share success stories.

We remain committed to our Educational Vision, which calls for classrooms where:

  • All students are known and valued;
  • Learning experiences are relevant, real-world, and interactive; and
  • Individualized supports allow all students to excel.

Our Catalog of Aligned Supports aligns DESE resources and opportunities with our vision. You can find both the educational vision and the catalog on our Educational Vision page.

We also have our annual Education Leaders' Checklist (formerly called the Superintendent's Checklist) to help district administrative teams map out deadlines and responsibilities.

I am proud to be working in a state that understands the importance of all students being known and valued. "All" means students of all backgrounds and abilities, where no student is excluded on account of their race, national origin, immigration or citizenship status, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or gender identity. All students should feel welcome and supported in school, and I would like to share the following information and resources:

Fostering safe and inclusive schools

In June, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in Mahmoud v. Taylor, 606 U.S. ___(2025) , a case addressing whether a school district could incorporate LGBTQ-inclusive storybooks into its elementary school curricula without providing parents notice and an opt-out option on religious grounds. On the facts presented in the case, the Court ruled that the district's policy infringed rights protected by the First Amendment's Free Exercise Clause. Each school district should consider its unique circumstances and consult legal counsel when determining whether any policies or curricular materials require a notice and opt-out process, and how to implement this process.

The Mahmoud decision does not invalidate the strong state laws that protect LGBTQ+ students in Massachusetts from discrimination, harassment, and bullying. Further, our public school systems shall, through their curricula, encourage respect for the human and civil rights of all individuals regardless of race, color, sex, gender identity, religion, national origin, or sexual orientation. (603 CMR 26.05) Massachusetts schools should continue to promote a safe, inclusive, and welcoming learning environment for all students.

Immigrant students

Governor Maura Healey recently signed the Protect Education Equity Bill, which guarantees the right to a public education in the state for all students, regardless of their disability, immigration or citizenship status . That law is in addition to the following existing resources:

Thank you for all you do. I look forward to meeting you soon, and I wish you and your staff and students the very best for this school year.

Sincerely,

Pedro Martinez
Commissioner

Last Updated: September 15, 2025

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