Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler will step down Friday after three years in the role, with Salem Schools Superintendent Stephen Zrike Jr. set to take over next month.
Tutwiler is leaving Gov. Maura Healey’s administration to become president and chief executive officer of Walker Therapeutic & Educational Programs, a Needham-based nonprofit serving children and youth with complex emotional, behavioral and learning needs. His choice adds to the turnover in the governor’s team as she splits attention between reelection plans and governing during a busy year for both policy and politics.
Early Education and Care Commissioner Amy Kershaw will serve as interim secretary until Zrike formally assumes the post in March.
Healey credited Zrike for improving outcomes across multiple districts. Zrike is currently in his sixth year as superintendent of Salem Public Schools and previously led the Holyoke and Wakefield districts.
Tutwiler has often described his charge as secretary in simple, deliberate terms. Coming out of the pandemic, he said his job was to “stabilize, heal, and transform” the state’s education system — and then to “rethink” what school is and what it could be. When he took the post in 2023, districts were still grappling with staffing shortages, learning loss, student mental health needs and uneven recovery from COVID-era disruptions.
During his tenure, Massachusetts education leaders faced a mix of progress and persistent challenges.
The state expanded early literacy initiatives, increased access to early college and career pathways, stabilized and grew the child care system, and made universal free school meals permanent.
At the same time, the state worked to realign graduation requirements after the MCAS was removed as a graduation standard in 2024, prompting ongoing debate over how to balance rigor, equity and local control. Public schools also continue to confront declining enrollment, lingering early literacy gaps, and the difficulty of rebuilding academic momentum as districts adapt to modern pressures intensified by the pandemic.
Zrike’s appointment brings a familiar name to Beacon Hill, particularly for Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll. A former longtime mayor of Salem, Driscoll overlapped for several years with Zrike after he was hired as superintendent in 2020. The two worked together as the district navigated the pandemic and academic recovery.
“As a former mayor of Salem, I know firsthand what a strong partner he is for our students, teachers and parents,” Driscoll said.
In Salem, Zrike oversaw improvements in attendance and MCAS performance, expanded full-day prekindergarten and strengthened dual-language and early college programs, according to the administration.
Before that, he served as receiver-superintendent in Holyoke, and earlier as superintendent in Wakefield. He began his career as a fifth-grade teacher in Andover.
In a statement, Jessica Tan, who helms the state’s branch of the American Federation of Teachers, credited Tutwiler for leading with “infectious joy and energy.”
Tan said Zrike had “earned a strong reputation as a professional educator of the highest caliber who stays laser focused on the needs of students and families, while also respecting dedicated educators in the classroom.”
“This change in leadership comes during a very challenging time in public education. At the federal level, public education is under assault, exacerbating the fiscal crises plaguing our cities and towns across the state,” Tan continued.
“Children are afraid to go to school because of the chilling effects of immigration enforcement officers acting as if they’re above the law. We’re seeing an increase not only in the number of students needing services but the complexity of their needs,” she said. “School districts are struggling to meet rising costs and our ability to provide the high-quality public education our students deserve is in jeopardy.”
Tutwiler is the latest Cabinet secretary to leave during Healey’s term. Transportation Secretary Gina Fiandaca was the first to leave in September 2023. Since then, former Public Safety Secretary Terrence Reidy, Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt, Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao, Health and Human Services Secretary Kate Walsh, and Veterans Services Secretary Jon Santiago have all stepped down.
Tutwiler said he was grateful for the opportunity to serve and optimistic about the transition, saying he was confident the work would continue “in such capable, committed, and compassionate hands.”
MassLive Politics Editor John L. Micek contributed to this story.
