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Master of Ceremonies Michael Moriarty addresses those attending the St. Patrick's Committee of Holyoke's J.F.K. National Award Dinner at the Log Cabin and Banquet House. (DAVID MOLNAR / THE REPUBLICAN)
(David Molnar/The Republican)
Gov. Charlie Baker has appointed Michael Moriarty, a Holyoke education and community development expert, to the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.
He also appointed Roland Fryer, a Harvard University economist.
"Dr. Roland Fryer and Mike Moriarty not only have deep knowledge and experience in education policy, but also have made a difference in their communities," Baker said in a statement.
Moriarty said in a prepared statement that his priority will be working to close the achievement gap, particularly in Gateway cities, which are struggling cities that could become key to their region's economies.
"I have spent my career fighting for early literacy success for all children, and am thrilled that the governor has taken a leadership role in the goal to have every child read proficiently by the end of the third grade," Moriarty said.
According to a biography provided by the governor's office, Moriarty is the executive director of Olde Holyoke Development Corporation, a non-profit community development agency focused on affordable housing. He is a lawyer and adjunct professor, and previously served on the Holyoke School Committee for 13 years. He is the founder and past president of Friends of Holyoke Public Schools, an education fund, and is an advocate for the Campaign for Grade Level Reading in Holyoke.
Fryer, who was awarded a MacArthur "Genius" Fellowship, is an economics professor at Harvard University and faculty director of the Education Innovation Laboratory. His work has focused on education, inequality and race.
Fryer and Moriatarty replace Vanessa Calderon-Rosado and David Roache. The 11-member Board of Elementary and Secondary Education oversees the state's public education system. One of its biggest upcoming challenges will be deciding which assessment the state should use - the PARCC or the MCAS test.