Commissioner's Back-to-School Update

The power of presence

Fall 2024

Welcome to a new school year! As we head into the 2024-25 school year, we continue to center our work on the educational vision that we introduced last year. Its goal is to ensure that all students, particularly students from historically underserved groups, are supported and have opportunities to shine. In brief, we envision classrooms where:

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

In support of this vision, we continue to update our Catalog of Aligned Supports for districts and schools, aligning each resource or opportunity with the relevant part of our vision. You can find both the educational vision and the catalog on our Educational Vision page.

We also have several other resources to help you and your school community this year:

• Our Superintendent's Checklist can help your administrative team map out deadlines and responsibilities.
• Our back-to-school "Power of Presence" public service announcement highlights the importance of attending school consistently, invites people to express why they attend school, and, on the same page, offers resources for schools, districts, and families.
• As we focus on early literacy, I encourage you to explore our literacy resources, including a new section on Mass Literacy for Families and Communities.

As always, we remain ready to partner with you on a wide range of subjects, including educator diversity and Early College.

I wish you and your staff and students the very best for this school year. Thank you for all that you do.

Sincerely,

Russell D. Johnston
Acting Commissioner

Last Updated: October 25, 2024