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Mass. education chief pledges support as special commission approves K–12 antisemitism recommendations
Summary
The Massachusetts Special Commission on Combathing Antisemitism voted unanimously to approve a draft set of K–12 recommendations after editing language and adding citations. DESE Commissioner Pedro Martinez told the commission his department will partner to implement guidance and add staff capacity to support districts.
The Massachusetts Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism voted unanimously on Aug. 5, 2025, to approve a draft package of K–12 recommendations that the commission has developed over several months, after members agreed to several last‑minute wording and citation changes and to fold in a new reference to FBI hate‑crime data.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s new commissioner, Pedro Martinez, told the commission he supports the recommendations and committed DESE to partner with districts and stakeholders to implement them. Martinez said the department plans to add at least one position to lead development and dissemination of guidance, evaluate curriculum materials related to antisemitism and bias, and provide technical assistance and progress monitoring for districts.
The commission’s vote followed a public revision process. Commissioners agreed to reinstate the phrase “should be…
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