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In 2019, only 4% of Massachusetts school superintendents were people of color, while 40% of the students served by public school districts were people of color. In the fall of 2019, DESE launched Influence 100 to increase the racial and ethnic diversity of superintendents in Massachusetts, create more culturally responsive districts and leaders across the Commonwealth, and promote better outcomes for students. Since the program's inception, the number of superintendents of color has steadily increased to over 8%.
Pictured: Commissioner Martinez with Cohorts 6 and 7 of Influence 100 during the 2025 Fellowship Kickoff.
Districts select rising leaders to participate in a two-year fellowship to prepare for the superintendent role through monthly training and ongoing support in key aspects of the superintendency, with a particular focus on equity.
Superintendents and a school committee member agree to participate with the Influence 100 fellow(s) in professional development and technical assistance with DESE to enhance their strategic planning for equity.
For districts interested in joining a future cohort, applications open in the spring! The Department will select up to 25 districts and 25 fellows for each cohort, who will join the network of over 100 fellows. Districts may identify up to two leaders in a principalship or district leadership position to participate in the fellowship program. This is a no-cost opportunity to districts. If selected, participating fellows receive a small stipend from DESE.
The application closes after all fellows have been selected. Once applications have closed, districts will be scheduled to take part in an interview for the fellowship. The interview takes one hour. Both the superintendent and fellow(s) must be present. Once all interviews are completed, DESE will notify applicants if they have been selected.
Last Updated: November 18, 2025