❄️ M.A.S.S. members from across the Commonwealth gathered in Marlborough today for our annual Mid-Winter Meeting.
🎤 M.A.S.S. President Karen Crebase welcomed more than 200 attendees, who heard presentations from two keynote speakers:
🇵🇷 Dr. Miguel A. Cardona, former U.S. Secretary of Education, described his own journey as a student, educator, and local, state, and federal education official, and reminded Superintendents about the importance of their “steady, strong, and strategic” leadership during turbulent times.
📊 Dr. Rachel S. White, Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Texas at Austin and Founder and Principal Investigator of The Superintendent Lab, shared data about Superintendent turnover and other data about the profession in Massachusetts and across the nation.
Other speakers at the meeting included DESE Commissioner Pedro Martinez and Dr. Barbara Malkas, retired Superintendent of North Adams Public Schools and 2025 recipient of the M.A.S.S. Christos Daoulas Award.
👏🏼 Congratulations to Dr. Jason DeFalco on being named Superintendent of the Marlborough Public Schools!
Jason has served as Interim Superintendent since July 2025. The School Committee voted to extend his contract through July 1, 2030.
Read more: bit.ly/4a7OCwb
❄️ M.A.S.S. Mid-Winter Meeting: “Steady, Strong, and Strategic: The Power of Leadership in Public Education”
(For district leaders, not a public event.)
🗓️ Thursday, January 22
📍 Royal Plaza Hotel, Marlborough
🕘 8:30 a.m. Registration and Continental Breakfast | 9 a.m. Program
🎤 Featured Speakers:
Miguel A. Cardona, Former U.S. Secretary of Education: “Why Steady, Strong, and Strategic Leadership Matters More Than Ever in Public Education”
Dr. Rachel White, Founder and Principal Investigator, The Superintendent Lab: “Unpacking the Massachusetts Superintendency: What does the data tell us and why it matters”
🎁 Bonus Sessions after lunch:
➡️ “One Size Does Not Fit All at the High School: Designing Tiered Supports that Work”
➡️ NEW – Advocacy Strategy Session for Rural School District Leaders
📋 Details and Registration: bit.ly/49Rr2ni
Job Posting: Superintendent of Schools: Ludlow, MA
Superintendent of Schools - Ludlow Public Schools - M.A.S.S.
www.massupt.org
Invitation to apply for Superintendent of Schools – Ludlow Public Schools
Job Posting: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR BI-COUNTY COLLABORATIVE