Mitchell Chester
Mitchell Chester began serving as Commissioner of the Massachusetts public schools in May 2008 after being unanimously selected by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education in January. As commissioner he is responsible for the public education of the commonwealth’s nearly 1,900 schools and more than 1 million students.
Dr. Chester began his career as an elementary school teacher in Connecticut where he taught grades one, two, four, and five. He was a middle school assistant principal and a district curriculum coordinator. He moved to the Connecticut State Department of Education, where, as chief of the Bureau of Curriculum and Instructional Programs, he oversaw subject area programs, educational technology, comprehensive health education, and federal entitlement programs, and helped to develop standards and performance assessments for both new and veteran teachers and administrators.
In 1997 Dr. Chester was named the executive director for accountability and assessment for the School District of Philadelphia. There he headed the offices of Assessment, Research and Evaluation, Student and School Progress, and Pupil Information Services. In 2001 he moved to Ohio, where he served as the senior associate superintendent for policy and accountability for the Ohio Department of Education, where he oversaw standards, assessments, accountability, policy development, and strategic planning. In addition he was responsible for the state’s implementation of the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
Dr. Chester has presented nationally on accountability, assessment and teacher induction and retention. He has served as a consultant to states and school districts regarding curriculum and instruction, teacher evaluation, student achievement, and assessment and accountability.
Dr. Chester holds a doctorate in administration, planning, and social policy from Harvard University, as well as advanced degrees from the University of Connecticut and the University of Hartford. He and his wife Angela live with their son Nicholas in Winchester.