Governor Healey Appoints Dr. Stephen Zrike Jr. as Secretary of Education

Governor Healey Appoints Dr. Stephen Zrike Jr. as Secretary of Education 

Patrick Tutwiler is stepping down as Secretary to lead Walker Therapeutic & Educational Programs

BOSTON – Today, Governor Maura Healey announced that she is appointing Dr. Stephen Zrike Jr. as Secretary of Education. Dr. Zrike is currently the Superintendent at Salem Public Schools and previously led the Holyoke and Wakefield Public Schools. Current Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler will be stepping down from his position on Friday, February 13 to assume the role of President and Chief Executive Officer of Walker Therapeutic & Educational Programs. 

“Dr. Zrike has a proven track record of improving learning for thousands of students across our state and the country. From his time as a fifth-grade teacher, to principal and onto Superintendent, he has changed lives and inspired those he works with. We congratulate him on this new role and can’t wait to work together to make sure every student has a high-quality education from early childhood through college and career,” said Governor Healey. “I’m grateful for Secretary Tutwiler’s leadership as Secretary of Education and his lifetime of service to the students of Massachusetts. Together, we created nation-leading graduation standards, enrolled thousands more students in early college, added thousands of child care seats, expanded early literacy tutoring and made historic increases to college financial aid. But what I’ll remember most about Secretary Tutwiler is his unfailing positivity and the absolute joy on the faces of students across the state any time he walks into the room. We wish him the very best in his next steps.” 

“I am pleased to welcome Stephen as our next Secretary of Education. As a former Mayor of Salem, I know firsthand what a strong partner he is for our students, teachers and parents, and I am confident his leadership will strengthen education across our state and build on the great work from the last three years under Secretary Tutwiler’s leadership,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “It’s been a pleasure to work with Secretary Tutwiler, and I am beyond grateful for his commitment to the students across Massachusetts. He will be missed, but I wish him the very best in his next steps, and I know he will continue to positively shape the futures of the students of Massachusetts for years to come.” 

“As I prepare to step into a new role with an organization dedicated to serving children with complex needs, my heart is full. This moment brings both excitement for what’s ahead and profound gratitude for the years I was honored to serve side by side with students, educators, families and communities to strengthen the educational landscape of the Commonwealth. I want to thank Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll for the privilege of serving as Secretary of Education. I will miss this work and this partnership more than I can express, but I also feel immense hope knowing that I’m leaving it in such capable, committed, and compassionate hands,” said Secretary Tutwiler. “Together, we will all continue fighting for the freedom of students to learn, to grow, to imagine, and to belong.” 

“I’m deeply grateful to Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll for the opportunity to serve as Secretary of Education,” said Dr. Zrike. “I look forward to continuing to work alongside students, parents and educators across the state to ensure every student has the support and opportunities they need to succeed. I will miss working with Salem’s students, educators, and families; the lessons they have taught me over the past six years will be central to how I lead as Secretary.” 

Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care Amy Kershaw will serve as Interim Secretary until Dr. Zrike assumes his position in March. 

Since 2020, Dr. Zrike has served as Superintendent of Schools for Salem Public Schools, where he led academic recovery efforts, strengthened educator support, expanded student-centered programming, and deepened partnerships with families and the broader community. He oversaw significant gains in MCAS achievement, expanded full-day pre-kindergarten, reduced chronic absenteeism to below pre-pandemic levels, and strengthened dual language and early college programming. 

Dr. Zrike previously worked at the Holyoke Public Schools as Receiver/Superintendent, where he led the turnaround of 11 chronically underperforming schools, improved academic outcomes, increased the graduation rate, and reduced chronic absenteeism. He also served as Superintendent of Schools in Wakefield, Massachusetts, Chief of Elementary Schools for the Pilsen-Little Village Network in the Chicago Public Schools and Principal of both the William Ohrenberger Elementary School and John Philbrick Elementary School in Boston. He began his career as a fifth-grade teacher in Massachusetts’ Andover Public School District. 

Dr. Zrike holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Dartmouth College and a master's degree and a doctorate in education from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education. He is Cuban-American and speaks Spanish. He lives in Andover with his wife, who is an elementary school special education teacher in the Andover Public Schools, and his children who attend public schools. 

The Executive Office of Education oversees and coordinates the work of the Department of Early Education and Care, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (K-12), the Department of Higher Education and the state’s 29 public colleges and universities to align programs, policies and resources across the entire public education system. 

Under the leadership of Governor Healey and Secretary Tutwiler, Massachusetts has continued to rank number one in the nation in education. The state’s child care system has stabilized and expanded, adding over 20,000 seats, increasing educator wages by 20 percent and helping more families than ever pay for care. The administration secured over $83 million in state and federal dollars to support early literacy instruction and tutoring to help children learn how to read and read well. Universal free school meals are now permanent, and Massachusetts is reimagining high school, with more than 80,000 students engaged in Early College and Career Pathways programs and is on the path to setting nation-leading expectations for every school and prepare all students for success after high school graduation. The number of students attending Massachusetts’ public colleges and universities has returned to pre-pandemic levels following historic investments in state financial aid and making community college cost-free. 

Patrick Tutwiler is leaving the administration to become President & Chief Executive Officer of Walker Therapeutic & Educational Programs in Needham, Massachusetts. Walker is a nonprofit dedicated to serving children and youth with complex emotional, behavioral, and learning needs, and the families who support them. The organization provides evidence-informed therapeutic residential and education programs; outpatient, in-home, and community-based services; and professional consultation and training across the Commonwealth.