Mayor Walsh Appoints Regina Robinson to Boston School Committee

 Today Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced the appointment of Regina Robinson to the Boston School Committee, the governing body of the Boston Public Schools. Robinson is currently the Dean of Student Affairs at Cambridge College. The 7-member Boston School Committee is responsible for defining the vision, mission and goals of the Boston Public Schools; establishing and monitoring the annual operating budget; hiring, managing and evaluating the Superintendent; and setting and reviewing district policies and practices to support student achievement.

"I'm very pleased to have Regina Robinson join our strong team at the Boston School Committee," said Mayor Walsh. ""She has a unique and broad perspective on education issues rooted in her experience as a parent, educator and higher education administrator."

"Regina Robinson, as a board member of SPED-PAC and a parent of a student in Boston Public Schools, has already brought a thoughtful and valued perspective to her work on both the Superintendent Search Committee as well as the School Committee's Inclusion Task Force,” said Michael O'Neill, Chair of the Boston School Committee. “I have no doubt she will do the same as a School Committee member as we work to improve the educational opportunities for all 57,000 students in our care.”

"I'm honored to be appointed by Mayor Walsh and join the dedicated team on the Boston School Committee, and I am committed to increasing pathways to success, from pre-K to college and career for all students, including those with special needs," said Robinson. "We have a lot of purposeful work ahead of us, and I want to bring my experience to the table to see Mayor Walsh's vision for the Boston Public Schools come to fruition."

In her current role, Robinson is charged with providing comprehensive support services to help students successfully complete their degree. She was one of four strategic leaders representing Cambridge College in the national American Council on Education’s Change and Innovation Lab (CIL), to increase postsecondary access and attainment. The CIL is leading select institutions through a collaborative planning process to create tangible campus-based plans for changes in leadership practices, faculty engagement, and use of technology and data. Prior to her service at Cambridge College, Robinson also served as Associate Dean of Women within the Office of Student Affairs for Liberty University. 

Robinson will bring a broad range of expertise to her role on the Boston School Committee, with a strong background in promoting student effectiveness and support, and identifying strategies to impact student success. Since 2010, Robinson has served as a team member at the Franklin D. Roosevelt K-8 School Inclusion Program in Hyde Park, where she provided a critical parent perspective to help to expand inclusive practices and develop adequate and equitable resources for students on the special education spectrum. Robinson has provided collaborative leadership as a parent, educator, and advocate, to a number of stakeholder organizations such as Boston Metro Early Intervention, Boston University Operation House Call, Thrive in Five, and the Massachusetts Early Intervention Consortium. 

This past February, Robinson was appointed by Mayor Walsh to serve on the BPS Superintendent Search Committee. She also serves on the Parent Advisory Council for Brigham and Women’s NICU, and as an executive Board member for the Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SPEDPAC) and Boston School Committee’s Inclusion Task Force team to increase the practices of inclusion and to provide a voice for BPS parents. 

Robinson currently resides in Hyde Park with her husband and four children. She is a graduate of Liberty University, where she earned a B.A. in Speech Communications and M.A. in Counseling. 

Robinson will fill the spot on the Boston School Committee left vacant by the departure of Rev. Dr. Gregory G. Groover, who served two full terms as a member, including four years as Chair. Robinson is being appointed to a full four-year term, and her appointment is effective upon being sworn in by the Mayor. Other committee members include: Michael O'Neill, Chair; Meg Campbell; Dr. Hardin Coleman; D.Min.; Michael Loconto; and Jeri Robinson. 

Mayor Walsh also announced today the reappointment of Jeri Robinson to the Boston School Committee. In November, the Mayor appointed Robinson following Margaret McKenna's resignation.  Jeri Robinson was formerly the Vice President of Early Learning Initiatives at the Boston Children’s Museum, and brings decades of early education program development to the group.

The seven members of the School Committee are Boston residents appointed by the Mayor of Boston to serve four-year staggered terms. Mayor Walsh made this appointment based on a list of candidates recommended by a 13-member Citizens Nominating Panel composed of parents, teachers, principals, and representatives of business and higher education. Under the legislation that established the appointed School Committee, "the Mayor shall strive to appoint individuals who reflect the racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity of the city."