Local News

Here’s who Gov.-elect Healey picked as the new secretary of education

“Our kids need results, and I know Dr. Tutwiler will deliver."

Former Lynn Public Schools Superintendent and newly appointed Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler speaks to reporters at the Pickering Middle School. Lane Turner/Globe Staff

By Gwen Egan

December 18, 2022

Patrick Tutwiler is taking up the mantle of secretary of education, appointed by Governor-elect Maura Healey.

Tutwiler is the former Lynn Public Schools superintendent and the first Black person appointed to Healey’s cabinet.

“Our kids need results, and I know Dr. Tutwiler will deliver,” Healey said in a statement Friday.

In his previous role as superintendent, Tutwiler specialized in “developing new high school models that will have a positive impact across the entire school system,” according to reporting by The Boston Globe.

And Tutwiler intends to keep that positive impact going in his new role as well.

“Our office is going to be all about the people. I’m excited for the opportunity to build a strong team who will help us ensure that we have a high-quality, equitable, and thriving education system,” said Tutwiler.

He will have plenty to do when his new role starts in January as schools statewide have struggled with closing gaps in education.

The problems stem from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Paul Reville, a Harvard Graduate School of Education professor and former secretary of education, according to The Boston Globe.

In Boston specifically, schools teetered on the edge of a state takeover last year. In 2022, survey and reporting data points haven’t been much better.

New survey data released by MassINC Polling Group found that a majority of BPS parents are “very concerned” or “somewhat concerned” for their children’s emotional and physical well-being at school.

A different 129-page report on the BPS special education system supported the conclusion that Black and Latino boys and students learning English are disproportionally over-referred to special education programs.

However, education officials are hopeful that Tutwiler will bring about a more diverse, equity-based lens for students in rural and urban districts alike.

Tutwiler is an alum of The College of the Holy Cross, and also received a master’s degree in education from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from the Lynch School of Education at Boston College, according to the Globe.