Baker’s Education Choice Comes Under Fire

The state's biggest teacher union is faulting Gov. Charlie Baker for tapping another charter school advocate for a top state education post.

The Republican governor, a charter school fan, named Paul Sagan on Friday as chairman of the 11-member Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Sagan was a member of the executive team of Akamai Technologies Inc., an Internet services company based in Cambridge, and a board member of the Massachusetts Business Leaders for Charter Public Schools.

Massachusetts Teachers Association President Barbara Madeloni called Sagan a leader of the campaign to lift the cap on charter schools. She said it's disturbing someone with that view will hold such a prominent place in overseeing public education.

Baker named another charter school advocate, James Peyser, to serve as secretary of education.