Mayor Walsh announces Cabinet-level Chief of Education

Today, Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced that he will appoint Rahn Dorsey his Chief of Education for the City of Boston. The newly-created position is reflective of Mayor Walsh’s campaign promise to implement a long-term strategy based on equity, access, accountability, transparency, and collaboration among all educational platforms in the City of Boston.

“Boston is a city deeply rooted in education, and to create groundbreaking, innovative milestones in this world, we have to start making significant changes in the way we focus on education across the board,” said Mayor Martin J. Walsh. “Rahn Dorsey will be an exceptional addition to my cabinet. He shares my vision for this position creating a bridge between City Hall and all facets of education, from colleges and universities, to BPS, to parochial and private schools, to adult continuing education.”

“In his five-plus years with the Barr Foundation, Rahn has made significant contributions to our education work, always keeping us grounded in the needs of students and families and helping us build relationships with countless partners across the city to improve educational outcomes,” said James E. Canales, President of the Barr Foundation. “The City of Boston will be the fortunate beneficiary of his considerable skills and thoughtfulness, and we look forward to a new phase of partnership with Rahn in this new leadership role for Boston.”

As the Chief of Education, Dorsey will be responsible for Boston’s education landscape and tasked with crafting and executing an education agenda for the City. From early childhood education, to kindergarten, to junior high, to higher learning institutions, to educations for seniors, Dorsey will implementthe Mayor’s vision for academic excellence across the City — including nontraditional and traditional practices.

Since 2009, Rahn Dorsey served at the Barr Foundation as Evaluation Director, leading development and implementation of data monitoring and evaluation frameworks for Barr’s investments. Prior to Barr, Rahn gained over 15 years of experience as a program evaluator and researcher with Moore and Associates and Abt Associates. During these years, his work spanned public policy, education, community change, and public health issues.

Dorsey currently sits on several Boston and New England boards and community organizations such as: The Black Philanthropy Fund, Boston Afterschool and Beyond, Third Sector New England, Bethel A.M.E. Church, The Boston School Quality Working Group, and Project Hip Hop.