Federal Secretary, Warren, Wu Celebrate Rafael Hernandez School's Dual-Language Model

BOSTON — July 19, 2026 — A U.S. Education secretary, Senator Elizabeth Warren, and Mayor Michelle Wu visited Rafael Hernandez K-8 School in Roxbury on July 19 to highlight the school's dual-language, dual-culture program and its post-pandemic recovery. The secretary cited nearly $250 million in American Rescue Plan funds directed to Boston schools, part of approximately $1.8 billion allocated statewide, saying the federal role is to "make sure the resources are available and they're going into the programs that will deliver for our children." Mayor Wu credited school principal Carolina and the superintendent with building "one of the best examples of what we can do," while the principal recalled predecessors fighting in the 1990s for the legal right to teach in the community's language. The secretary flagged the school's hub model — embedding social workers, counselors, and family liaisons on site — as a framework he intends to study for national replication.