Press Release: 5/28/2025
M.A.S.S. presents the 2025 Distinguished Service Award to Massachusetts Senate President Karen E. Spilka
May 27, 2025 | Christopher Horan
Photo caption: Representatives from the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents (M.A.S.S.) present the 2025 Distinguished Service Award to Massachusetts Senate President Karen E. Spilka at the State House. Pictured, left to right: James E. Adams, Superintendent of Ashland Public Schools; Dr. Carol Cavanaugh, Superintendent of Hopkinton Public Schools; Senate President Spilka; Dr. Armand Pires, M.A.S.S. President, Superintendent of Medway Public Schools; and Mary Bourque, Executive Director of M.A.S.S.
M.A.S.S. recently presented the 2025 Distinguished Service Award to Massachusetts Senate President Karen E. Spilka for her leadership on public education in the Commonwealth.
M.A.S.S. President Armand Pires, Ph.D., Superintendent of the Medway Public Schools, and other M.A.S.S. representatives presented the award to Senate President Spilka in the Senate Chamber at the Massachusetts State House.
“We often reflect on how fortunate we are to live in Massachusetts because of our quality of life and the educational excellence we provide to our children,” said Dr. Pires. “Senate President Spilka is a significant reason for these outcomes with the leadership she has provided with both fiscal and legislative policies that allow us to achieve levels of excellence.”
Senate President Spilka said, “I ran for School Committee and then for the legislature to make public K-12 school funding more adequate, equitable, and predictable, and to ensure that every child receives the education that they deserve regardless of background or the zip code they live in. M.A.S.S. has been right there every step of the way with me. Your continued partnership has been amazing as I have fought for abundance and equity in education.”
In presenting the award, M.A.S.S. officials cited Senate President Spilka’s leadership on the passage of the Student Opportunity Act (SOA) in 2019, which resulted in the largest increase in education funding in Massachusetts’ history, as well as reforms to reduce disparities in educational opportunities. The SOA has been essential in addressing the needs of many high-need districts serving many of the most vulnerable students. The association noted that Senate President Spilka, recognizing that school districts in the Commonwealth that have not received SOA funds are increasingly challenged financially, has demonstrated a commitment to examining the state funding formula and making school funding a priority in her legislative platform.
Addressing one of the most critical issues our schools are facing, Senate President Spilka has led a number of efforts to increase funding to support students’ mental health and decrease barriers to accessing quality mental health care, including directing state funding toward public awareness of mental and behavioral health.
Senate President Spilka began her political career as a member of the Ashland School Committee. Since 2005, she has represented Metrowest communities of the 2nd Middlesex & Norfolk Senate district, which includes Ashland, Framingham, Holliston, Hopkinton, Medway, and Natick. In addition to her work in public education, the Senate President has championed legislation related to infrastructure, juvenile justice, services for the elderly and disabled communities, and other important social causes. During her career, Senate President Spilka has been a social worker, small business owner and attorney. She went on to become one of the first legislators in the nation to vote in favor of marriage equality and transgender protections.