Assistant Vice President for Urban Affairs Mary Jo Marion has been named to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Dropout Prevention and Re-Engagement Working Advisory Team. Marion says the purpose of the team is to help DESE think through the issues that affect student engagement, and consider tools, supports and activities to engage those students most likely to dropout, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are looking to identify strategies to accelerate learning and provide soft landings for students experiencing the COVID learning slide,” says Marion.
During Marión’s tenure, the Latino Education Institute has developed new programs, served greater numbers of youth, increased external funding, and taken a more active role in public policy issues affecting Latinos.
She has considerable experience with a wide range of education issues, and co-authored “Creating the Will: A Community Roadmap to Achieving Educational Excellence for Latino Students in Worcester” on behalf of the Mayoral Commission for Latino Educational Excellence of Worcester. She currently serves as principal investigator on a number of externally funded grants examining the condition of education for urban youth.