Mass. K-12 Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley stepping down in March - The Boston Globe (2024)

In a resignation letter to the state board of education, Riley said it was the right time to “pass the baton,” noting his aging parents require more of his time and attention. New education initiatives, including Governor Maura Healey’s “Literacy Launch,” deserve a commissioner who can “commit on an all-in basis for at least another five years.”

“And I simply cannot do that,” he said.

Riley was first appointed to the role in 2018 under former Governor Charlie Baker, a Republican, whose appointees still dominate the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, although Healey is slowly reshaping membership as positions become available. That gradual shift has increasingly raised speculation among political insiders, educators, and education advocates about whether Riley, who serves at the will of the board, would eventually get replaced.

“We’re grateful for Commissioner Riley’s leadership to make sure Massachusetts continues to have the greatest schools in the country and to support our incredible students and educators every step of the way, particularly through the challenging years of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Healey said in a statement. “We thank him for his years of service for the people of Massachusetts and wish him the very best in this new chapter.”

Riley plans to ask the board to elevate Russell Johnston, deputy education commissioner, to acting commissioner. Riley said he intends to be available as an adviser through the end of the school year.

“Massachusetts students will enjoy the benefits of his work for years to come,” Katherine Craven, chair of the state board, said in a statement, citing a long list of accomplishments that included his advocacy for universal school meals; his groundbreaking work in creating, championing and expanding the Early College program across Massachusetts; and his support for high-quality, evidence-based reading instruction for all students.

Outside state government, Riley’s announcement generated mixed reactions.

Keri Rodrigues, founder of the advocacy group Massachusetts Parents United, said Riley was the “empathetic and common-sense leader students and families needed” during the pandemic, and that he ensured families “truly felt heard” amid the debate over school reopenings.

Rodrigues also lauded Riley for his support of evidence-based early literacy practices. Under Riley’s leadership, the Education Department gave millions of dollars in grants to districts for purchasing high-quality instructional materials. The parent group will be pushing aggressively for the next commissioner to be a “champion for literacy,” Rodrigues said.

Massachusetts Teachers Association’s Max Page, who acknowledged his union did not have the best working relationship with Riley, said the MTA is looking forward to a commissioner who will listen “to the priorities and expertise of our members, the educators who have created the finest public education system in the country.”

Riley’s role as commissioner capped off a career in public education spanning three decades, during which time he served as a teacher, principal, and superintendent.

Several of those years were spent in the Boston Public Schools, a district he would later, as commissioner, nearly seek to place under state control due to “serious challenges and deficiencies” in the system, including fixing chronically late buses, overhauling aging facilities, reducing the segregation of students of color with disabilities from the rest of their peers, and bringing programs for English learners into compliance with federal law. Riley in 2022 ultimately chose state intervention, not receivership, for Massachusetts’ largest school district.

But he has since expressed frustration with the pace of improvement with BPS under a districtwide systemic improvement plan and publicly derided Superintendent Mary Skipper and Mayor Michelle Wu’s efforts as “incomplete” last June. District leaders were supposed to update the state board on their progress in December, but the meeting got canceled abruptly and their appearance was conspicuously absent from the board’s agenda last month.

“I wish Jeff well in all his future endeavors and thank him for his efforts to support students and families across the Commonwealth,” Wu said in a statement. “We look forward to continuing our partnership with the DESE team and strengthening our collaboration across every sector for Boston’s young people.”

Skipper also reaffirmed the district’s commitment to improvement, thanking Riley for his work as commissioner and his earlier period as a BPS principal and central office administrator.

“We remain committed to our ongoing and important work of systematically improving the school experience for all of Boston’s students, including students with disabilities and multilingual students with and without disabilities,” Skipper said. “We are focused on rigorous academic instruction, providing our students with social and emotional support services, and ensuring that they have access to safe schools that promote learning and personal growth.”

Riley made a name for himself in school turnaround efforts, initially in Boston where he oversaw the dramatic resurgence of the Edwards Middle School in Charlestown about 15 years ago and then as the first state-appointed receiver in 2012 of the Lawrence Public Schools, which he led until his appointment as state education commissioner six years later.

Mary Bourque, co-executive director of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, said she hopes the next commissioner has as much “vision, compassion, and empathy” as Riley.

Mandy McLaren can be reached at mandy.mclaren@globe.com. Follow her @mandy_mclaren. James Vaznis can be reached at james.vaznis@globe.com. Follow him @globevaznis. Christopher Huffaker can be reached at christopher.huffaker@globe.com. Follow him @huffakingit.