BPS Superintendent Finalist Welch Outlines Teacher Pipeline, Absenteeism, and Equity Plans in Educator Panel

BOSTON — July 21, 2026 — Boston Public Schools superintendent finalist Dr. Tommy Welch fielded 90 minutes of questions from educators and school leaders Monday in the second of a public interview series organized by the BPS Superintendent Search Committee. Welch, currently the Region 1 superintendent overseeing 15 schools in East Boston, Charlestown, and the North End, is one of two finalists for the position alongside Somerville Public Schools Superintendent Mary Skipper, after a search that began with 34 candidates in March. Moderated by Channing Elementary School Principal Carlene Pignato, the panel covered teacher retention, services for students with disabilities and multilingual learners, autonomous schools, chronic absenteeism, curriculum modernization, and the district's equity work. Welch referenced a state grant that paid high school seniors $15 an hour to work in schools as part of a teacher diversity pipeline, cited a "nudge messaging" attendance platform already piloted in Region 1, and called for quarterly public evaluations of the superintendent tied to transparent data dashboards. Welch has said he is prepared to begin work as superintendent on July 1.