Senior Associate Commissioner for Strategy, Monitoring and Compliance

The Education Secretariat is committed to equity and valuing the unique and diverse characteristics and experiences of every member of its workforce. We encourage an authentic workplace where colleagues show up as their full selves and where collaboration, innovation, and connections are key to realizing our mission that all children, youth, and families thrive socially, academically, and economically. We seek teammates committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive work environment where everyone is valued and engaged. We encourage you to apply and identify your strengths in these areas.  

Educational Vision of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education: Our educational vision describes the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE) aspiration for elementary and secondary public education and adult basic education in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This vision is anchored in our commitment to high-quality teaching and learning in the Commonwealth. We will continue to work with districts, schools, and educators to promote teaching and learning that is antiracist, inclusive, multilingual, and multicultural; that values and affirms each and every student and their families; and that creates equitable opportunities and experiences for all students, particularly those who have been historically underserved. For more information on our vision, click here.    

The Senior Associate Commissioner of Strategy, Monitoring and Compliance is a senior level position, serving on cabinet, and reporting to the Deputy Commissioner.

The Senior Associate Commissioner of Strategy, Monitoring and Compliance will be responsible for three large offices at DESE: the Office of Public School Monitoring, the Office of Problem Resolution and the Office of Planning, Strategy, and Research. The role will be to coordinate efforts across these three offices to align the fiscal and programmatic monitoring efforts of DESE, to implement the DESE's research agenda aligned to the Commissioner's strategic vision, to oversee DESE's federal grants office, and to coordinate DESE's response to general education complaints made to the Problem Resolution system. 

This position will be responsible for providing cabinet-level oversight of DESE's statewide monitoring activities to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations. For the Office of Public School Monitoring, this is done through reviews of special education and civil rights policies, procedures, and practices in order to support district efforts to build equitable and inclusive educational systems that meet the diverse needs of all students. For the Office of Planning, Strategy, and Research, this is done through programmatic and fiscal monitoring of district's federal entitlement grants and district plans associated with the implementation of the state Student Opportunity Act.

This role requires supporting the reporting offices in interpreting and applying complex federal and state requirements consistently across diverse educational settings; identifying areas of noncompliance, issuing findings, and developing corrective action plans that address both procedural and systemic issues; and providing targeted technical assistance and guidance to support districts in achieving sustained compliance and improving outcomes for students.

This role will provide cabinet-level oversight of non-special education complaints and complaints against DESE itself filed with DESE's Problem Resolution System. The Problem Resolution System ensures that students, families, school districts, and other community members have easy access to information regarding learners' rights and educational options and to a forum for the resolution of disputes that is prompt, accurate and fair. The Senior Associate Commissioner will be asked to implement systems and practices to respond to complaints in a timely and efficient manner.

Coordinating with the Senior Associate Commissioner of Special Education, the