Boston Superintendent Brenda Cassellius speaks at a press conference last month. Photo: James Rojas/WBZ NewsRadio
Updated 11:57 AM
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Boston Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius said on Monday that she will resign at the end of the school year, in a letter to the public. Cassellius has served as the Boston superintendent since July 2019.
Before coming to Boston, Cassellius served as Minnesota's commissioner of education for eight years, and a letter from Mayor Michelle Wu called her departure a "mutual decision," while thanking her for her service.
Cassellius did not name a specific reason for her decision to leave Boston in the letter, but did say that she was "forever grateful to former Mayor Marty Walsh for a phone call more than three years ago that eventually brought me to Boston." She also thanked former Mayor Kim Janey for "her leadership during a time of transition" and Mayor Wu for "a vision for BPS that puts children firmly at the center."
She said the district had successes during her tenure in the pandemic, including expanding access to exam schools and putting in place "more just and transparent" codes of conduct.
Addressing Boston students, Cassellius said she was "beyond proud of your resilience and brilliance."
Cassellius' term as superintendent has been bumpy at times, owing mostly to the pandemic — including a vote of no confidence from the Boston Teachers Union and a lawsuit announced yesterday.
Mayor Wu did not comment on naming an interim superintendent, but said the next leader of the district would need to be "ready to execute quickly."
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