Massachusetts. Dept. of Education.

The Dept. of Education (sometimes referred to as the State Dept. of Education), is responsible under the control and supervision of the Board of Education for supporting, serving, and planning general education in Massachusetts public schools.

The department was established per St 1919, c 350, ss 56-62, which abolished the Board of Education and the Bureau of Immigration and transferred their powers and duties to the newly created department, which also oversaw various institutional boards of trustees and other state agencies. The act provided for the creation within it of a Division of Public Libraries, a Division of Education of Aliens, and a Division of the Blind.

The department was to be under the control of a commissioner of education and a six-person Advisory Board of Education, all appointed by the governor. Per St 1947, c 652 the advisory board was replaced with a Board of Education (not to be confused with the 1837-1919 agency) consisting of nine gubernatorial appointees who appointed the commissioner. Membership of the board has varied; presently it consists of the chair of the Student Advisory Council, the chancellor of higher education, the director of research of the Advisory Council on Education, the secretary of education (a cabinet-rank official appointed pursuant to St 1992, c 133, s 209), and thirteen gubernatorial appointees.

From 1971 to 1980 the department was under the Executive Office of Educational Affairs. The department's functions are currently described in MGLA c 15 and c 69.

NAME AUTHORITY NOTE. Series relating to the agency described above can be found by searching the following access point for the time period stated: 1919-present--Massachusetts. Dept. of Education. Additional access points as needed may be provided under: 1919-1947--Massachusetts. Advisory Board of Education; 1947-present--Massachusetts. Board of Education.