Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

09/23/2026

🐟 From Boston's local waters to Western Mass. farms, we're kicking off the 2026-2027 school year’s Terrific Tray Competition with September’s winner, Boston Public Schools! This fish sandwich tray includes local black beans and strawberries and sources items from farmers and fishers from across the state. This spread celebrates a new school year rooted in Massachusetts’ Harvest of the Month program and Boston Public Schools’ commitment to high-quality local food.

Learn more about Terrific Trays, a competition DESE’s Office for Food and Nutrition Programs hosts in partnership with Massachusetts Farm to School: https://bit.ly/46IRIV4

School Nutrition Association of Massachusetts The John C. Stalker Institute of Food and Nutrition

09/15/2026

📅 Happy Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month, which is celebrated from September 15 to October 15! According to the U.S. Census Bureau website, the Hispanic or Latino population in the U.S. is 20.5%.

Learn about the work of some famous Latinos and Latinas in the U.S., and learn about the difference between the terms “Hispanic” and Latino” on the Smithsonian National Museum of the Latino website: https://s.si.edu/3XNqB84

Hispanic Heritage Month is a month-long celebration of Hispanic and Latino history and culture. Learn why we celebrate and how you can too!

09/09/2026

🌎 The Governor’s Youth Climate Council is now accepting applications for the council for the 2026-27 school year. This opportunity for Massachusetts students in grades 9-12 allows students to engage with each other and the Governor’s Office of Climate Innovation and Resilience about Massachusetts climate policy.

The council will meet monthly over Zoom from September through May with opportunities for in-person events throughout the year. No prior climate experience is required. Applications are due by Friday, September 11. Students can apply online: https://bit.ly/46QgMJI

Complete the form below to apply for the Youth Climate Council.

09/09/2026

09/03/2026

✍️ The application is now open for the 65th annual United States Senate Youth Program! High school juniors and seniors actively serving in an elected or appointed leadership role are encouraged to apply to represent Massachusetts at the program’s Washington Week in March.

🔗 Applications are due by Friday, September 25. Details for Massachusetts students are available on DESE’s U.S. Senate Youth Program webpage: https://bit.ly/4gL9tHU

The goal of the Massachusetts public K-12 education system is to prepare all students for success after high school. Massachusetts public school students are leading the nation in reading and math and are at the top internationally in reading, science, and math according to the national NAEP and int...

09/03/2026

Back to School Memories with DESE Commissioner Pedro Martinez! 📚✏️

🟥FAVORITE SUBJECT: Math ➕➖✖️➗
🟥BEST CAFETERIA FOOD: Pizza (first tasted it at school in 4th grade!)🍕
🟥MESSAGE TO STUDENTS: We’re excited to welcome you back and see you thrive and grow academically and as leaders. What motivates our work is your success.

08/24/2026

Students shouldn’t just learn about civic life—they should experience it.

Nearly $890,000 from the Healey-Driscoll Administration will help 28 districts expand hands-on civics education and give students more opportunities to use their voices and make a difference.

🔗: https://www.mass.gov/news/healey-driscoll-administration-awards-890000-in-civics-teaching-and-learning-grants

08/19/2026

Building strong reading skills starts early. 📚

That’s why the Healey-Driscoll Administration is continuing its investment in high-impact literacy tutoring, providing nearly 8,500 seats to help K–3 students across Massachusetts become confident readers.

🔗: https://www.mass.gov/news/healey-driscoll-administration-announces-continued-investment-in-early-literacy-tutoring-for-338-schools

08/12/2026

🎉 Congratulations to Mansur Buffins, Massachusetts’ 2026 History Teacher of the Year! Mr. Buffins, most recently a teacher at Boston Public Schools' Community Academy, is being recognized for his exceptional dedication and creativity in teaching American history. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is giving him a $1,000 honorarium and a collection of educational materials, and he is Massachusetts’ nominee for National History Teacher of the Year. Mr. Buffins is also director of PK-12 education for the Black American Descendants of the Great Migration and U.S. Freedmen. Congratulations, Mr. Buffins!

Congratulations also to our Mass. History Teacher of the Year runners-up:

👏 First Runner Up for Mass. History Teacher of the Year: Brianna Murphy, who has spent 14 years teaching at the Advanced Math & Science Academy Charter School in Marlborough and is a former teacher fellow at the Massachusetts Historical Society. Congratulations, Ms. Murphy!

👏 Second Runner Up for Mass. History Teacher of the Year: Kristin McManus, who teaches social studies at Littleton High School in Littleton Public Schools, MA and is her district’s grades 6-12 history and social science coordinator. Congratulations, Ms. McManus!

08/04/2026

Tomorrow, will hold a free, online FAFSA Festival. Filling out the FAFSA can help you enroll in free community college this fall! Learn more at https://bit.ly/4vA87oG

Are you attending college this fall and still need help completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)?