Top ten (plus?) read posts of 2019

As we close out the year, I did one of my periodic checks of the analytics to see what you all have been reading around here in 2019.
As always, far and away the most read is the front page, whatever it happens to be. I'm still stunned/amazed/impressed at how many of you simply swing by to see what is on the front page without coming in from anywhere in particular or to see anything in particular. Frankly, this is what pushes me to be faithful in posting (and makes me feel guilty when I am not!). I will continue to endeavor to make sure you have something to read when you come by!

So to the top ten actual posts:

1. It sometimes happens that someone about whom I have had reason to blog hits the news for some other reason, and the magic of Google will take people here. So it was when Rhode Island selected one of the finalists for Massachusetts Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, Angélica Infante-Green, for their own new Commissioner of Education back in March. Google turned up my liveblog of her interview for the Massachusetts position in January of 2018, and Rhode Islanders came here to read what she'd said then. While the big news out of Rhode Island has been the state takeover of the Providence schools, she hasn't held back on other (in some cases, related) issues, including teacher diversity, racism, and the needs of English learners. One hopes she is heard on the need for accompanying resources. 

   My latest take (actually, Providence down their with them in my most recent model runs, but yes Woonsocket still last) pic.twitter.com/DRGME9d8MQ

   — Bruce Baker (@SchlFinance101) October 19, 2019



2. I am still angry about this, particularly as I see victory laps from his office, so let's not forget this post from October 3, calling out Governor Baker's blatant attempt to sink the Senate's passage of the Student Opportunity Act. It's the second most read post this year. Thank you to everyone who read it, everyone who shared it, everyone who got it, and everyone who remembers.
   This is why the Senate for certain and this year the House (and prior years, everyone in the House who fought for full implementation) gets credit from me, but short of the single "proof it happened" photo, you're not going to see me given Governor Baker credit for his signature. He tried to sink the bill. I will not forget that.


3. Demonstrating that those interview liveblogs just keep on giving, Tennessee appointed Penny Schwinn, who had been the third finalist for Massachusetts Commissioner, Education Commissioner in January, and her interview liveblog was the third most read blog post. Schwinn was told by lawmakers to slow down changes in Tennessee's accountability system; I am confused how this would work: "Schwinn has mentioned a 'best-of model' as one option, allowing schools to choose whether they want to be evaluated mainly on growth or on proficiency." Tennessee til now had emphasized student growth in their measures.
   This coming year, Tennessee will be among the states implementing a voucher program (do read Jennifer Berkshire on this!). Gosh, best wishes, Tennessee!


4. Back in February, the Worcester School Committee--finally--took up sex ed after twists and turns in which the only positive upshots were that Bill Shaner's coverage of it got an award and the entire field of candidates for the Worcester School Committee committed to comprehensive sex ed* in the new term. My post on reviewing the then-proposed Michigan model is here.
   
   *whatever that means, as I said on 508: A Show About Worcester back in May. I guess that is part of what we'll find out this coming year!


5. This was--hurrah, hurrah!--the year we finally, finally, finally got the foundation budget overhauled, and so the filing of Senator Sonia Chang-Díaz and Representative Aaron Vega and Mary Keefe's Promise Act is the "five golden rings" (da-da-da-dat) of this year's top ten. I have to be honest: the Legislature made me work for it this year, what with explaining how the Boston piece worked here, what the possible holdup was on negotiations around the bill (it looks like maybe I was kind of right?), and chasing down the pieces of the final Student Opportunity Act (see number 10). I know I learned a lot: I hope some of you did, too!


6. Bringing us back to the reason why I started the blog in the first place--you're never going to get everything in a newspaper article!--the sixth most read post was the liveblog of the Worcester Doherty building committee meeting at which they were to vote a preferred option and didn't. This was the one at which the Chandler Magnet community showed up and reminded folks that that wasn't empty space over on Chandler Street.
   Don't forget that lesson.


7. One of the things about which I was reminded this spring was this: Worcester, for all that we are sometimes insular, plays on a pretty big stage. When the second largest city in the state, with the third largest public school system, has sustained public concerns expressed regarding systemic bias that then impacts the negotiation of the superintendent's contract renewal, the state (not just DESE, though that's true) pays attention. The seventh most read post was just my running through the released student disciplinary data from the district and comparing it to the student disciplinary data that the state had posted from the district, following an earlier post.I did find myself for much of April attempting to at least share what was happening in Worcester.
   We shouldn't forget that, either.


8. The Boston Globe's new foundation-funded education shop did a long piece on the Boston Public Schools' bathrooms, which left me with decidedly mixed feelings. 


9. Thankfully, it isn't often that we have a crossover into public education of the ongoing fight for transparency and accountability around sex abuse in the Roman Catholic Church, but this year we did, and it hit Massachusetts. I am still very very concerned about how the Department did not, frankly, choose to handle this, from my seat as a mother and from a district policy level. There should have been an open call from the Department for anyone with any concerns or history to contact someone outside the Department; that should have gone out to every district with a request that it be shared through every district channel.
   DESE officials have a lot of implicit trust around children that comes with their positions, and I really don't think the Department did what it needed to in order to keep and maintain that trust. 


10. And then we had a bill! And I had all sorts of people tweeting me gifs of their waiting for me to read it!
    And lo and behold, it actually passed and was signed.

This did not make the top ten, but it came close, and it's making me laugh, because it may be that kind of a year again: you gotta make up snow days.
And seniors? You can't get out earlier than the 168th day of school (sorry!). 

And in 2020?
Locally, yes, I'll be blogging the Worcester School Committee and other meetings; as per past practice, I don't tweet from the floor, but blogging is my taking notes, so that you'll have.
At the state level, we have the Student Opportunity Act to implement (with those district spending plans due in April!). The Board of Ed is considering vocational schools admissions, we're still implementing the ESSA plan (will there be alterations?), and I, anyway, am still wondering about the vision of K-12 education coming out of Malden now.
And, nationally, we of course have a president to elect!

I feel very, very lucky to do what I do. Thanks for reading, but thanks also for asking questions, for pushing me on policies, and for all, named and otherwise, who answer my sometimes repetitive and often inconveniently timed questions.
I couldn't do it without you. 

For the coming year, I can't say it better than Molly Ivins:

So keep fighting for freedom and justice, beloveds, but don't forget to have fun doing it. Be outrageous... rejoice in all the oddities that freedom can produce. 
And when you get through celebrating the sheer joy of a good fight, be sure to tell those who come after how much fun it was!

Happy 2020! 

What's happening next door

I've done a bit of tweeting about Rhode Island's efforts to turn around (sorry for the tired verb) education system--they've hired Angélica Infante-Green as their new education commissioner, who of course was a finalist for the Massachusetts education commissioner and may represent a sort of road not taken (an outsider, a Latina, and so forth)--particularly as a number of districts are having eyebrow-raising budget seasons this spring; take a look at Warwick, or Lincoln, or Coventry. All of this is after Rhode Island adopted the MCAS--yes, the Massachusetts state test--as their own state assessment and results in the first year were weak. There's been lots of political fomenting since, 'though what I haven't heard about is any sort of comprehensive funding overhaul.

The Boston Globe has a piece today on the most recent bit, which is the discussion of if the state should take over the Providence school system. The first part that made me sit back in my chair:

[Mayor] Elorza has faced public criticism from members of the council and the Providence Teachers Union for insisting that he interview most people coming to work for the school department, from principals down to crossing guards. A spokesperson for Elorza acknowledged the mayor does like to meet with applicants before they are hired but argued he does not interfere with school department decisions.
When it comes to signing off on contracts with vendors, the council has come under fire for a requirement that it approve all agreements worth more than $5,000. The process has led school department employees to joke that it can cost more than $5,000 in man hours just to prepare a small contract to go before the council. Council leadership has defended the practice, arguing city government needs checks and balances.

...there's somebody who needs some roles and responsbilities work here, and it isn't the school committee.
There is plenty else at work here--Rhode Island, after all, has the same redlined New England districts that Massachusetts does, meaning that the need is concentrated in their cities. Add to that Providence's size relative to the rest of the state, where a district about the same size as Worcester is close to a fifth of the entire state public school enrollment. Infante-Green has been careful not to talk about a "takeover" speaking instead of partnerships, 'though one should of course always approach such terms with care. At this point, all that has been happening is a comprehensive review (which is how we know the bit above from the Globe) with results due later this month.
While Rhode Island hasn't had the same comprehensive funding reform Massachusetts has had once and is over due to have again, it also hasn't had any of the related reforms (catch any Massachusetts mayor insisting as above, for example) around who has what sort of authorities. Between that and the relative proportion of the population involved, expect there to be more Legislative action that might otherwise be the case.

Vote of Board of Elementary and Secondary Education on new Commissioner of Education

The meeting is scheduled to start at 12:30...posting as we go...
Everyone here save Chair Sagan and Secretary Peyser. Isn't that interesting? 
And the Chair is here...

Meeting being called to order at 12:39

Train thoughts on the education commissoner interviews

I tweeted this out on my ride home yesterday, but I was asked to put it in a more shareable format. h/t to Dan Callahan who caught the proof that I was on the train. As always, my thoughts, nothing further, upon reflection of nearly six hours of interviews. 

The crowd ebbed and flowed over the day: it was a good size for Schwinn, the room was full for Infante-Green, smaller for Riley. Riley, of course, is something of a known quantity for Massachusetts at the state level, so that wasn't entirely surprising.

I went into yesterday expecting to be wowed by Schwinn; I assumed she had to be a great interview, because I didn't understand how else she would have made it to the finalists' list. She wasn't. She wasn't awful--she had a response for every question and gave examples when asked--but I assumed, with the state level positions she's held in more than one state, she would have studied Massachusetts. She hadn't. Her answers in many cases made it clear that she didn't know what we've been doing. I also expected, given her background and public comments, to be more in disagreement with what she had to say. I wasn't; more than once, I went back and re-read something, thinking, "Yeah, okay." So much of what she said was management jargon, though, that it was difficult to find much to hang onto. If I never hear "performance management" again, it will be too soon. The Board did push a bit on the special education issue(s) in Texas; some clearly were satisfied with her answer, others clearly were not. In sum, I thought I would at least get the attraction and I really didn't. Notes on that interview are here.

I'm not giving away the game to say there's some smart money on Infante-Green; there has already been at least one #teaminfantegreen tweet. She has the most compelling story, both personally and professionally. It would also, bluntly, look pretty good for our Republican (but, no, really, not that kind, he says) governor to oversee the appointment of the first woman and first Latino Commissioner. Yesterday, Infante-Green no sooner sat down then she made the Board and crowd laugh. The energy in the room changed entirely (this is why I don't sit in the front, by the way). I don't know if the Board even realized they were doing it, but they engaged with her in an entirely different way than they had with Schwinn. They asked follow-up questions that were relevant to her answers. Clearly, Infante-Green's home turf is English learners and special education; I and others have wondered if she's siloed there. I was a bit reassured on that count today. I did, though, intentionally flag her speaking of the empowerment zone and bringing "Third Way Ed" back from the dead, both of which are very odd from someone who at one point said "data data data." There is none or very little. Also, some of her responses on poverty were not okay; poverty does impact the classroom, and it's silly and dangerous to deny that. Should it lower our expectations? No. But we as adults should expect a whole lot more of ourselves when kids are poor; I didn't hear enough of that from her. And I'm overemphasizing both of these points because she's the strongest candidate. I like that she wants to keep her kids in dual language programs (me, too). And I think she walked out of there in the strongest position. Notes on that interview are here.

As I've said before, Riley is a known face to the Board; he's in every few months to update them on Lawrence. They know him, they know his views, and thus the exchange with Secretary Peyser on the "test scores beat all" philosophy (of Peyser's) wasn't a surprise, at least to me. Riley doesn't believe that's the most important or only thing in education; lucky for us, neither does most of the Board. Riley's been consistent throughout his career on that (you can find it in print as far back as his time at Edwards Middle), and let me say that I honor that consistency. Riley also acknowledged his privilege as a white male, which makes for quite a break with subjects that might in other times have been undiscussed; it noted the elephant in the room. His answer on poverty was much more balanced (and note that Lawrence has expanded all sorts of outside services to kids), I found. I have never thought that this was "Riley's to lose," as I've heard many people (who spend less time in Board of Ed meetings) say; there also will definitely be timing and visuals and politics as part of this appointment. Notes on that interview are here.


You can still comment on the selection to the Board til noon today. They vote on their choice at 12:30 on Monday in Malden.
And yes, I will be at that, too! 

Interviews for Massachusetts Commissioner; Angélica Infante-Green

you can read WBUR's profile

Sagan: Commonwealth’s education system mission
Infante-Green: Massachusetts reputation precedes
Whole succession of roles that lead me to where I am today; given me experience and opportunities
Different ways of tackling information : NY has 700 districts; 2.6M kids
Understand scope; also understand rural, urban, suburban
Have two children; Massachusetts provides a world-class education “I can’t deprive my kids of that” (to laughter)

Craven: diversity in K-12 education
Infante-Green
"having difficult conversations"
when people say they don't see color, that's not true
"we have to see the challenges and work through...this marks the road of where we end up"
NY state is one of the most segregated school systems in the nation
presented to the state board around cultural responsiveness earlier this week and how that ties into the ESSA plan
"when they're thinking of English language learners, they're thinking of one type of students; that's not true"
"when you're thinking of differently able children, 'dis' means 'can't' and that's not true"
"create subgroups...why do subgroups matter?"
"new arrivals" versus students who have been here some time
look at program models and models for excellence
"talk to parents..I feel very strongly that parents are the cornerstone of that work"
"I will try not to use edu-jargon"
create a tool kit for parents
looking at technology for communicating parents: "We have to communicate so they understand"

Moriarty: turnaround in lowest performing schools; roots of problem and solutions
Infante-Green: couple of things
a very strong curriculum matters; "are we simplifying for kids or are we expanding?"
"are we thinking of remediation all the time...and we can't"
"have a tendency of taking away the other things that we know are important...like the arts"
"we cannot limit our kids"
"have to get better at our craft" as teachers
"have been challenged in my life in ways I didn't think I would ever be"
"to expand and to grow...something we have to spend time in"
Moriarty: third grade reading
Infante-Green: have to start way before kindergarten
"have to really look at what the children bring"
"very researched based systematic system" to learning to read
"I didn't have the training in literacy in my first year, so I went back to school"
"the English language is very complicated"
"looking at literacy a little differently...different cultures have different ways of speaking"
"have to know how to bridge that gap"
native language: students come in with some of those hallmarks of literacy in place
"use their home language as a vehicle"

Morton changes his question to use "differently abled" in his question
Infante-Green: a little over-representation of kids who have IEPs
"would start in the evaluation"
"what are we measuring, what are the right tools" are they normed for this population
"can't use standard evaluations because they aren't normed for this population"
IEP should drive achievement and standards for that child
should be comprehensive to parents
understanding for all teachers of diagnosis
"we have students who have difficulty reading" who don't have IEPs
haven't capitalized on assistive technology
"how does that learning continue to happen at home?"

State agencies have a tendancy to continue to do things even if they don’t work
Look at what works, what doesn’t, what changes can be made
Does everything need to be done at the state level by a state agency?
“the magic and the work happens at that [local] level”

Stewart: roles to fill in around you for complete management team
Infante-Green: “keep hearing what an amazing team Mitchell Chester put together”
“have to be a very collaborative approach”
“same level of commitment and drive”
“very good at the operation piece…part of being Commissioenr is there’s a lot of politics around this job…someone who can execute”
“details are important, details matter”
“people that would push me, that wouldn’t ‘yes’ me”
“we have to be able to move forward”

Stewart building a highly diverse staff, retaining staff
Have to be able to meet those standards; provide those opportunities to learn and to grow
“someone that can communicate well, with teachers, with educators, but primarily with parents”
“job can’t just be about me”
“people who are aggressive who are hungry who will go the extra model”
“not always going to be popular”
“have a thick skin…as long as we’re doing right by kids, that’s alright”


Trimarchi: engaging stakeholders
Infante-Green: "when there's noise in the background, you need to listen"
"students are very good about telling what they're getting and what they're not getting"
"Everyone has something to contribute"
Trimarchi: working with legislators
Infante-Green: building coaltion
"outcomes, what happens if you don't do it"
"being compelling"
"and having the student voice in those conversations is real"
members have different ideas and platforms; they are representing their communities

McKenna: views of what a state agency does and is: your vision?
Infante-Green: technical assistance, support, "but provide some regulation" set standards "this is where we need to go"
"should be a clearinghouse for what good curriculum looks like, what good practices look like"
"setting the bar, and not providing obstacles"
McKenna: balance of local control and school based management and state oversight
Infante-Green: if school districts are doing a great job for kids, "that's where we learn and grow and share from"
"I think districts need to have a little more autonomy when they show they can make the change"
"need to be working with them on the ground"
"clear markers for how they're going to measure that"

Sagan I missed the question
Infante-Green: created leadership academies
"I want to stress that we do that with populations that look similar to theirs"
"we begin with data; it's always about data"
"honest conversations"
where we have done that and it hasn't moved the needle "we've come in as a team"
"sometimes different types of talent that's needed"

West: charter schools
Infante-Green: "charter schools do play an important role; they're part of the toolkit"
"I think every parent should have access to high quality program...that's non-negotiable"
have lots of options "you have the empowerment zone"
"have to share the practice...find a way to heal the conversation"

Infante-Green "I would like to begin with gratitude..."
students of populations "lagging behind"
"it's not enough to best in the country, if we're not the best for all kids"
"all really means all kids"
her mother "swore that her kids would have better opportunities"
mother bribed the secretary to get her enrolled in a higher performing school
"amazing teachers who pushed the envelope"
"most powerful force to fight poverty is education"
created the first dual language inclusion program for my son
"so he's dyslexic in both languages"
"understand what it takes to overcome challenges, because I was that kid"
"committed to making sure that parents don't have to make impossible choices that my mother made"
"bringing bold innovation to see that happens"
five key initiatives: 1. prioritize resources 2. leveraging teacher leaders 3. early grade literacy 4. strong instructional options  5. engage deeply with school community
robust partnerships
can't close achievement gaps wi
"we know that have teachers of color can positively impact students of color and it's equally important for" other students
there needs to be accountability
"we have continued to see success in our empowerment zones and we will continue to refine that third way"
speaks of elementary school in empowerment zone launched as a dual language school


Moriarty: theme of every parent having choices for their children
Not at a point of parents having agency over education; who to do that
Infante-Green: clear action plan on that
Go to communities “we aren’t the only leaders in communities”
West: teacher evaluation
Infante-Green: this should not be a top-down approach
“I think teachers want feedback, need feedback…I think that has to be left to the local level”
And have to have voice of teachers
“teachers have high standards…they can’t be left out of the conversation”

Peyser: how do you know?
Infante-Green: "I did say we were going to measure it"
"it happens at the local level and then we agree on how we're going to measure it"
places where we have these vulnerable communities and we need to have teachers in those conversations
"we have to think about this differently"

Fernandez: "if you were to backward plan from your speech"
Infante-Green: being very visible
communicating in differently languages
"I think we have spent a lot of time talking to parents not talking with parents"
"how do families get information? ...the voices have to come from their community"
Fernandez: LOOK act
Infante-Green: I'm a true believer in being prepared
work with schools to create a plan; planning year
"who are the students, who are those English language learners"
how do we include other communities in this opportunities that they have
continuing to learn science while learning English
"there are patterns"
exponential growth in ELL students: an opportunity
"we need to move further and push the envelope"
"very excited about these opportunities, but it has to be thoughtful"
Infante-Green "there's no such thing as a deficit"
"all teachers being teachers of English language learners"
"just because you don't speak English doesn't mean you don't understand content"
"not about remediation; it's about wrapping up instruction"
"show what the data clearly says...those kids tend to outperform everyone else" when given supports
Moriarty: level of state involvement
Infante-Green: because it's new, there's going to be a lot of collaboration with the state
curriculum in place, teachers are trained, have a voice and how the program is created
"do that together"

Doherty: socio-economic and testing
Infante-Green: poverty is a reason to look at what we're doing
"poverty doesn't influence what happens in the classroom"
"we have to double our efforts"
work with higher education so students get credit for their language skills
"how do they use what they bring as skills"
"has to be about instructional practice"
if we're going to have the conversation about poverty "we should provide it"
"have they eaten"
"are they cold, like it is in this room" (at which someone brought forward a wrap for her)
"can't pretend like poverty doesn't exist, because it does"
"making sure that they get more, if they need a longer day, as I believe that they do"
"but it also means flexible scheduling if they have to work"
"also bringing in the community...extremely important"
"This is about saving kids lives and building community"
Doherty: how should testing be used in accountability?
Infante-Green: I believe in testing, I believe it's important, it's part of how we take the temperature
one of the questions is what does the assessment look like
assessments serve different purposes
ESSA is giving us an opportunity to do this now
"to push the efforts and the supports"
Doherty asks if she's a Yankees fans
Infante-Green "This is an unpopular answer, even in New York: I'm a Mets fan."

Peyser: other subjects being crowded out by reading and math
Infante-Green: yes
literacy across the curriculum: have to be challenged to do more than reading and do math
"find those intersections"
Peyser: how do you get there?
Infante-Green: accountability system: have an opportunity we have not had

Peyser: vocational ed
Infante-Green: how kids that were disengaged were brought back
work with industry "to keep up"
"if we're not partnering with the industry, we're doing our kids a disservice"

Peyser: NY in a different class (on size?) find partners and being inclusive while making hard decisions
Infante-Green: start with the end "can we all agree on where we want to be at the end of the day"
parents have felt we're not listening
"include every voice" in ESSA plan
"it doesn't mean we're always going to agree"
"when those rumblings start happening, you need to pay attention"
"to be more transparent"
75% of questions made public; seen as matter of public trust
NY state teachers felt they didn't have a voice in the standards; teachers and parents and business community included in revamp
"fix how we communicate and who we get there without changing the standards and expectations...I draw the line there"

Morton: concrete in mitigating gaps
Infante-Green: gap closing with dual language program
communities view this different
dual language school in Chinese community very popular until third grade, when testing happens
those kids outperformed everyone in the school
"What tools are available to us?" how are we measuring
measuring literacy in multiple languages
professional development while you put the curriculum in place
"data data data, very important"

Sagan: any reservation?
Infante-Green: "No, I would just ask you where I should buy a house."
"have looked into communities where we can live, contribute, and where my children can continue to be bilingual"

Sagan gives chance for her to ask questions
Infante-Green: how do you have the stamina to do this?
Sagan: "Well we keep the room cold"

Media Advisory from DESE on selection of a new Commissioner

Just released tonight: an update from the Department giving a few more details about the interviews, and clarification about public comment

Friday, January 26, 2018: Public Interviews of Commissioner Finalists
9 a.m. –5 p.m.
Omni Parker House
60 School St. (let's admire the fitness of the address)
Boston
The meeting will also be streamed online at https://livestream.com/accounts/22459134

Schedule:
 9:15-11:15 a.m.: Interview with Penny Schwinn, chief deputy commissioner of academics at the Texas Education Agency
11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.: Interview with Angélica Infante-Green, deputy commissioner of the Office of Instructional Support P-12 in the New York State Education Department
(1:30-2:30 p.m.: Break for lunch)
2:30-4:30 p.m.: Interview with Jeffrey C. Riley, superintendent/receiver of the Lawrence Public Schools

The Department has posted information about the candidates here.
The Board invites public feedback either by attending and filling out a form, or by filling out this form, and emailing it to the Board. Or just email the Board. Either way, be sure to include your name and make sure they have it by Saturday at noon.

The vote is on Monday beginning at 12:30 at the Department's headquarters in Malden.

Under state law, the recommendation requires a two-thirds majority vote of all members (Secretary Peyser has a vote as a member of the Board), and the secretary decides whether to appoint the recommended candidate or ask the Board to submit another candidate for consideration.

Round-up of links on the education commissioner

I thought a central repository might be useful

Here's the official press release from the Department.
I put the CV's of the three finalists in my Dropbox here.
My blog post on how this works--eight votes to recommend to the Secretary for appointment--is here. Note that since that post, Noyce has stepped down; West and Fernandez are new members.
The State House News Service article by Katie Lannan can be found (among other places) here.
WBUR's Max Larkin pulled this together yesterday.
You can read Michael Jonas in Commonwealth Magazine here.
The Texas Tribune gives a Texas angle on Penny Schwinn here.
Here's New York's Chalkbeat note on Angélica Infante-Green.
Katherine McKiernan at the Herald has this on responses to the finalists.
Chalkbeat notes that over the weekend, New York City parents began circulating a petition, calling on Mayor DeBlasio to appoint Infante-Green Chancellor of the New York City Public Schools.
Michael Jonas of Commonwealth writes an in-depth look at the finalists, postulating that "as goes the Commissioner, so goes the direction of education.)

My blog post with what I can find on Penny Schwinn is here.
My blog post with what I can find on Angélica Infante-Green is here.
My blog post with what I can find (and what I know) on Jeffrey Riley is here.

The interviews are on Friday, January 26 beginning at 9 at the Omni Parker House in Boston and will be livestreamed here.
The Board meets again Monday, January 29 in Malden at 12:30  to vote for their recommendation.
And yes, I'll be there to cover it. 

Commissioner finalists: Angélica Infante-Green

We have three finalists for Commissioner of education

Jeffrey C. Riley, superintendent/receiver of the Lawrence Public Schools
Angélica Infante-Green, deputy commissioner, Office of Instructional Support P-12 in New York State Education Department
Penny Schwinn, chief deputy commissioner of academics at the Texas Education Agency

Next up, Angélica Infante-Green, who is on Twitter, though she hasn't tweeted since November.