Commissioner of Education

The Commissioner of Education for Massachusetts says he's very concerned about the lack of academic improvement at the Hayden-McFadden school in New Bedford. Speaking on the Brian Thomas program on WBSM, Mitchell Chester says he's awaiting a turn-around plan from Superintendent Pia Durkin...

Mass.  Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester says Supt. Dr. Pia Durkin will be the turnaround operator for the John A. Parker school in New Bedford.  Earlier this year, Parker School was declared chronically under-performing by the state, and has been designated a "level 5" school...

Massachusetts education officials say while scores on standardized MCAS tests continue to improve, many of the state's high school graduates are not fully prepared for college level coursework. Gov. Deval Patrick's administration announced Wednesday that the percentages of 10th graders scoring proficient or higher on the MCAS exams were 91 percent in the English portion, 80 percent in mathematics