BPS Educators Luisa Sparrow, Maya Smith, Sugeily Santos, and Emily Silas honored at annual DESE Celebration Honoring Excellence in Teaching
BPS Educators Luisa Sparrow, Maya Smith, Sugeily Santos, and Emily Silas honored at annual DESE Celebration Honoring Excellence in Teaching
This week, four Boston Public Schools (BPS) educators were honored by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) for their hard work and dedication to supporting our students.
The following BPS Educators were honored for going above and beyond in support of their students, as well as for the power of the examples that they set for their students and their school communities:
Earlier this year, Luisa Sparrow was recognized as the 2025 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year in a celebration with Governor Maura Healey, Mayor Michelle Wu, Superintendent Skipper, and leaders from across the city and state. Ms. Sparrow was recognized by the state for her work to create an affirming environment where students engage in deeper learning and are held to high expectations with targeted support, and how she is able to build strong relationships with students, families, and the larger school and district community.
Sugeily Santos was also honored as the 2024-2025 BPS School Counselor of the Year, in addition to being named as the 2025 Massachusetts School Counselor of the Year. Ms. Santos sets a standard of excellence through her inspirational leadership, compassion, and unwavering commitment to students. This recognition highlights her counseling skills, professionalism, and admiration from students, parents, colleagues, and the entire Curley K-8 School community.
In February, the Massachusetts School Administrators Association (MSAA) recognized Maya Smith, the Associate Head of School at Fenway High School, as the 2025 Assistant Principal of the Year. Ms. Smith was honored during Fenway’s Black History Month Assembly held on Friday, February 14th. The Assembly featured performances and presentations from students, Fenway alumni as well as the presentation of the Assistant Principal of the Year award to Ms. Smith.
Emily Silas is currently a Teacher at English High School in Jamaica Plain. Ms. Silas has been a dedicated high school history teacher in BPS who has developed and implemented rigorous, responsive, and relevant curriculum through collaborations with organizations such as the Boston Debate League, GBH, Facing History and Ourselves and the Massachusetts Bar Association. . She is passionate about providing opportunities for students to develop ethical reasoning and advocacy skills through their study of history, government, and politics. Ms. Silas was nominated by GBH for 2024 Massachusetts History Teacher of the Year, after serving as an Education Ambassador for the network.
Congratulations to all those who were honored at the ceremony! We are so proud of all of the work that you all do to support our students, families, and school communities.
Photo Credit: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Mayor Michelle Wu today signed a landmark agreement with the Greater Boston Building Trades Unions and the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters to create a new and expanded direct pathway for graduates of Madison Park Technical Vocational High School to good-paying, stable union jobs in the construction trades.
Project Labor Agreement for Boston Public Schools will also ensure a consistent supply of skilled workers for the Long-Term Facilities Plan
BOSTON - Tuesday, May 13, 2025 - Mayor Michelle Wu today signed a landmark agreement with the Greater Boston Building
Trades Unions and the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters to create a new and expanded direct pathway for graduates of Madison Park Technical Vocational High School to good-paying, stable union jobs in the construction trades. This commitment is part of a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) for the Boston Public Schools (BPS) Long-Term Facilities Plan, ensuring a consistent supply of skilled, union labor for major BPS capital projects.
“It is a historic day for Boston Public Schools and Madison Park. This agreement is a statement on the City of Boston’s values, delivering three major wins, for our schools, our students and our partners in the trades,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “We are doing this because our students deserve every improvement, every opportunity, and expansion of resources now. They deserve spaces to build lifelong friendships and expand professional networks and develop the skills to serve at every step of their journey.”
"After graduating Madison Park, I didn’t have a clear plan. I didn’t have access to college or a roadmap to a sustainable career. That all changed when I discovered a pre-apprenticeship program called Building Pathways that prepared me for a career in the building trades unions. After graduating Building Pathways, I got the chance to start my career on a site covered by a Project Labor Agreement. Through a PLA negotiated by the unions, I didn’t just get a job, I built a career. When we commit to union labor through a PLA, we’re not just hiring workers, we're investing in families. We're putting real wages into the hands of parents who are raising the next generation. We’re investing in our neighborhoods, small businesses, and community centers. This PLA is an engine of economic growth. It ensures local hiring, so the people building these schools are the same people who walk these streets, ride the T, send their kids to these classrooms. It means more of our young people are getting into a lifetime career. The ripple effects of this PLA will be felt for decades creating stable pathways to home ownership, to save for the future, and building stronger, safer communities. This is how we fight inequality, not with words, but with work. With opportunity. With good union jobs,” said Chaton Green, Business Agent, Greater Boston Building Trades Unions.
Under Mayor Wu’s administration, the City of Boston has dedicated an increasing share of its capital budget to accelerate the pace of major school construction projects through the Long-Term Facilities Plan. This PLA ensures that all major BPS capital projects moving forward will have a consistent supply of skilled, union labor. These projects must be completed quickly and carefully sequenced to minimize disruptions to school communities. By signing this PLA, the City is creating greater efficiency and stability in large-scale, multi-step projects, while aligning with the City’s equitable procurement and supplier diversity standards to expand opportunities to women- and minority-owned businesses. Future school projects will be evaluated for potential inclusion in the PLA after a case-by-case review, as required by the Mass Leads Act, the economic development bill signed by Governor Maura Healey in November 2024.
"This landmark agreement creates real opportunities for students, especially young women and students of color, to thrive and build long lasting, fulfilling careers in the city they call home," said BPS Superintendent Mary Skipper. "Throughout the district, we are creating pathways to college and career in areas like health care, education, the arts, and the building trades. This agreement ensures that Boston will have a skilled, qualified workforce well into the future."
The PLA also specifies that graduates of Madison Park will have direct entry into the Building Pathways pre-apprenticeship program. Building Pathways is a non-profit organization founded by the Greater Boston Building Trades Unions dedicated to the recruitment, retention, and advancement of under-represented groups in the union building trades, particularly women, people of color, and young adults. Madison Park offers six Ch. 74-certified vocational programs aligned with the building trades: Carpentry; Electricity; Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC); Metal Fabrication; Plumbing; and Building and Property Maintenance. According to the terms of the PLA, the top-performing half of each graduating class from each of these six programs at Madison Park––up to 50 students per year––will have guaranteed admission into Building Pathways, followed by admission to a registered apprenticeship program. Madison Park will be the only technical vocational school in Massachusetts to offer its graduates direct entry into apprenticeship programs at this scale.
“Madison Park should and will be the best technical vocational high school in the country,” said Paul Neal, Head of School at Madison Park Technical Vocational High School. “I’m grateful to have Mayor Wu’s partnership to give Madison the level of support that will uplift our students today and for their long term success, and I want to thank the Building Trades Unions for working with us to create these opportunities right in the heart of Roxbury.”
This expanded partnership with the building trade unions is a continuation of Mayor Wu’s and Superintendent Skipper’s commitment to immediate investment in Madison Park––including expanding co-op opportunities for students and modernizing curriculum and technology––even as the City continues its planning and design work for a re-designed Madison Park campus. In April 2025, the City and BPS submitted a Statement of Interest to the Massachusetts School Building Authority’s Core Program to seek state support for the project.
The PLA also commits to enhancing childcare opportunities for workers in the participating unions by exploring the creation of a trust fund to subsidize the cost of high-quality childcare, similar to the trusts that the unions currently administer for health insurance and pension benefits. This builds on the City’s ongoing efforts, in partnership with the Care That Works coalition, to create more options for high-quality childcare for workers with non-traditional schedules.
The BPS Long-Term Facilities Plan commits to dramatically overhauling the district's physical footprint, with multiple complex projects underway simultaneously. Since 2022, the City has completed the Boston Arts Academy, the Josiah Quincy Upper School, and the new Horace Mann School (in the former Edwards building); and has broken ground on the new Carter School (on track to open in September 2025), a gut renovation of the Irving building for the new Sarah Roberts Elementary (on track to open in September 2025), and a major renovation and expansion of the PJ Kennedy Elementary School (on track to be complete in September 2025). The City has successfully secured state support from the Massachusetts School Building Authority for the Shaw-Taylor Elementary School and the Ruth Batson Academy with several more schools, including Madison Park. This is more major capital projects underway at once than has been completed in the last 40 years combined.
Cell phone use, increased mental health resources, and student-centered spaces were among the topics highlighted at the Boston Student Advisory Council’s end-of-the-year celebration showcasing the group’s work this school year.
The contest invites K-12 students in Boston to write letters to the artist exploring the meaning of family. Students may also choose to submit original artwork that expresses their feelings about family.
Student Voices to Share Museum Walls with Van Gogh's Roulin Family Portraits in Unique Cultural Experience
BOSTON, MA – May 5, 2025 – In partnership with 826 Boston, Boston Public Schools, and Savvas Learning Company, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), is hosting "Dear Vincent," an innovative letter-writing contest for Boston students in conjunction with "Van Gogh: The Roulin Family Portraits." The exhibition, which is on view at the Museum through September 7, 2025, explores the artist’s groundbreaking portrayals of a family he met during his time in Arles, France.
Inspired by Van Gogh’s deep connection to the Roulins, the contest invites K-12 students in Boston to write letters to the artist exploring the meaning of family. Students may also choose to submit original artwork that expresses their feelings about family.
The contest is presented through a partnership between the MFA, Boston Public Schools, and 826 Boston, with generous sponsorship from Savvas Learning Company, whose mission is to provide high-quality learning experiences to help all students succeed. Up to 36 selected submissions will be displayed near the entrance to the exhibition, giving students the extraordinary opportunity to have their work showcased in the same building as masterpieces by one of history's most beloved artists.
"We're proud to partner with 826 Boston, Savvas and BPS to support this initiative that encourages students to explore creativity, emotional expression, and art history simultaneously,” said Darcy-Tell Morales, Patti and Jonathan Kraft Chief of Learning and Community Engagement at MFA Boston.
Mary Skipper, Superintendent of Boston Public Schools, emphasized the educational value of the initiative: "Writing is a fundamental skill that opens doors to self-expression, critical thinking, and academic success. This partnership with the MFA gives students a meaningful context for developing literacy skills by connecting them personally with art history. When students write letters to Vincent van Gogh, they're engaging in a creative dialogue that brings art to life and makes history relevant to their own experiences and family stories."
As part of the city’s Boston Family Days program, all registered Boston students and families receive free admission to the Museum the first two Sundays of each month, and with generous support from Savvas Learning Company, the Museum is also able to extend to registered families complimentary access to the Van Gogh exhibition on Boston Family Days from July 6 to September 7, pending availability. Timed tickets must be reserved in-person, and arriving early is recommended to avoid sell-outs. For more information about registering for Boston Family Days admission, please visit https://www.mfa.org/visit/boston-family-days.
“Writing is such an important foundational skill, not just for the classroom but for life. Engaging students in creative writing experiences, like crafting a personal letter to Vincent van Gogh, helps them build knowledge and practice their writing skills,” said Bethlam Forsa, CEO of Savvas Learning Company. “Savvas is excited to be part of this fun, cross-curricular literacy activity that immerses students in imaginative writing.”
Submissions for the "Dear Vincent" contest are being accepted electronically until Sunday, May 25, 2025, at 5:00 PM. Letters should be addressed to Van Gogh directly, reflect on personal meanings of family, and draw connections to the artist's relationship with the Roulin family. 826 Boston will review all submissions and select the finalists to be displayed.
Nile Blunt, the MFA’s Senior Director of Museum Learning, reiterated the importance of the contest in extending the Museum’s mission to foster creativity among young people, stating, "We're excited to see how Boston's youth interpret these universal themes that were so central to Van Gogh's relationship with the Roulin family." For more information about the contest guidelines and to submit entries, visit https://www.mfa.org/visit/boston-family-days.
The MFA brings many worlds together through art. Showcasing masterpieces from ancient to contemporary, our renowned collection of more than half a million works tells a multifaceted story of the human experience—a story that holds unique meaning for everyone. From Boston locals to international travelers, visitors from all over come to experience the MFA—where they reveal connections, explore differences and create a community where all belong. Open six days a week, the MFA's hours are Saturday through Monday, 10 am–5 pm; Wednesday, 10 am–5 pm; and Thursday–Friday, 10 am–10 pm. Plan your visit at mfa.org.
Boston 826 Boston is a nonprofit writing, tutoring, and publishing organization where students in grades K-12 and beyond can share their stories, amplify their voices, and develop as leaders in school and in life. Services are structured around the understanding that great leaps in learning can happen with individualized attention and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success. 826 Boston provides after-school tutoring, field trips, creative writing workshops, in-school Writers' Rooms, college essay assistance, help for English Language Learners, and in-depth publishing projects.
At Savvas, we believe learning should inspire. By combining new ideas, new ways of thinking, and new ways of interacting, we design engaging, next-generation K-12 learning solutions that give all students the best opportunity to succeed. Our award-winning, high-quality instructional materials span every grade level and discipline, from evidence-based, standards-aligned core curricula and supplemental and intervention programs to state-of-the-art assessment tools and the industry's most innovative portfolio of college and career readiness solutions — all designed to meet the needs of every learner. Savvas products are used by millions of students and educators in more than 90 percent of the 13,000+ public school districts across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, as well as globally in more than 125 countries. To learn more, visit Savvas Learning Company.
The Boston Public Schools (BPS), the birthplace of public education in the United States, serves more than 48,000 pre-kindergarten through grade-12 students in 121 schools. BPS is committed to transforming the lives of all children through exemplary teaching in a world-class system of innovative, welcoming schools. We partner with the community, families, and students to develop in every learner the knowledge, skill, and character to excel in college, career, and life.
Media Contact:
Sarah Drumm
Manager of Public Relations
SDrumm@mfa.org
(617) 369-3045
| Michael Valerio, Founder of Papa Gino's | |
| 1932 | Adio Dibiccari, Famous Sculptor |
| 1937 | Edward Gibbons, Former CEO, Woolworth's |
| 1947 | George Matthews, President, Nuclear Metals |
| 1975 | Frankie Renzulli, Actor |
| 1978 | Sal LaMattina, Boston City Council |
| 1993 | Jermaine Wiggins, NFL football player |
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