New state education commissioner visits JFK
By Guest
Commissioner Pedro Martinez poses for a photo with local, state and school officials during a recent visit to JFK.
By Matt Ellis
The first day of the 2025-26 school year took on even more importance as Canton welcomed the new commissioner of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to the John F. Kennedy Elementary School on Tuesday, September 2.
Commissioner Pedro Martinez only started his job on July 1, but said he was committed to visiting schools, welcoming students, and feeling the excitement of opening day. “I want our children to feel joy coming back to school to see their friends, their teachers, their principal,” he said.
“We are honored to have him because it’s a special day,” added Canton School Superintendent Derek Folan. “On the first day of school, I think about how important this is to the families. I love seeing the kids, their excitement and the energy. It never gets old to me.”
“It’s really exciting that he picked the JFK School to visit,” said JFK Principal Saundra Watson. “That he picked our elementary school to come by and greet students this morning shows that we have a great community.”
Members of the Canton School Committee were on hand to greet the new commissioner, along with state Senator Paul Feeney, who highlighted the commissioner’s visit as an example of the state’s commitment to public education. “This is exciting,” Feeney said. “The school is full of hope and opportunities. I see a lot of smiles on faces, and a little nervousness, but that melts away the minute they come in and meet their teachers.”
Martinez stopped and talked to several students and parents on their way into school, asking some kids, “What’s your favorite subject?” He helped encourage at least one who appeared skittish about entering school by telling them, “It’s okay. Once you get in, you won’t want to leave.”
He also made a note to recognize the school’s sparkling, new playground, which was built using funds from the town, the Community Preservation Committee and a local family’s donation. “The sense of community here is so strong,” said Martinez. “Look at the playground. The fact that we had parents that partnered with the District to support that is just a wonderful story.”
For Folan, who is marking his fifth year in the job, welcoming the state’s top education official was an opportunity to demonstrate the administration’s effort to always keep its focus on the children. “We’re doing great things in the Canton Public Schools,” Folan said, “and I hope the Commissioner finds our District matches up with his hopes and dreams for elementary schools in Massachusetts.”
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