Past Events - Sec. Jim Peyser
Virtual Discussion Series with
Jim Peyser
Massachusetts Secretary of Education
Podcast Episode HERE!
On July 21st 2020 Leaders in Lowell was joined by Massachusetts Secretary of Education Jim Peyser for a wide ranging discussion on education. Over the course of the discussion Secretary Peyser spoke on the digital divide in low income communities, student loan debt, and more. Secretary Peyser also spoke about the effect of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on our schools and students, as well as how the system will change as a result of the rise of distance learning. Speaking from his extensive experience in the Massachusetts Department of Education spanning from serving with Governors Weld, Swift, Romney, and Baker, he is an expert in his field and provides great insight into these important issues. We hope you enjoy the discussion.
This event was held virtually as a part of Leaders in Lowell's new "Virtual Discussion Series". This series is being held online as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
About Secretary Peyser
"As Secretary of Education, Jim Peyser directs the Executive Office of Education which is responsible for early education, K-12, and higher education in Massachusetts. Secretary Peyser sits on each of the boards governing the Commonwealth’s education agencies – Department of Early Education and Care, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Department of Higher Education, and the University of Massachusetts system. He is Governor Baker’s top advisor on education and helps shape the Commonwealth’s education reform agenda.
Prior to his appointment as Secretary, he served as the Managing Director at NewSchools Venture Fund, a non-profit grant-making firm that seeks to transform public education in high-need urban communities by supporting innovative education entrepreneurs. From 1999 through 2006, Jim served as Chairman of the Massachusetts Board of Education. Prior to joining NewSchools, Secretary Peyser was Education Advisor to Governors Bill Weld, Jane Swift, and Mitt Romney, where he helped shape state policy regarding standards and assessments, school accountability, and charter schools. In 1995, he served as Under Secretary of Education and Special Assistant to the Governor Weld for Charter Schools.
He previously spent 7 years as Executive Director of the Pioneer Institute for Public Policy Research, where he helped to launch the Massachusetts Charter School Resource Center, which supported the development of the state’s first charter schools. Before joining Pioneer, Secretary Peyser held various positions at Teradyne, Inc., an electronic test equipment manufacturer in Boston.
Secretary Peyser holds a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from The Fletcher School (Tufts University) and a Bachelor of Arts from Colgate University." (From Sec. Peyser's Governors Council Biography)
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