BOSTON – Governor Maura Healey announced the appointment of Associate Professor and the Chair of the Department of Education at College of the Holy Cross Ericka Fisher, Ed.D. to the state’s Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE). Fisher was sworn in on June 21 and participated in her first meeting this morning.
The governor’s office called Fisher “a leading expert in multicultural education.”
Fisher’s research research focuses on social and education issues, particularly multicultural education and the intersection of social justice and education. She is the author of “Educating the Urban Race: The Evolution of an American High School.” In the book, Fisher captures the many factors at play in an urban high school.
“Dr. Ericka Fisher has demonstrated a life-long commitment to advancing education in her home of Worcester, and it’s clear she will bring that same dedication to expanding opportunities across Massachusetts,” said Governor Healey. “With her expertise in multicultural education, Dr. Fisher will bring a necessary perspective to the Board as they seek to deliver a high-quality education to all of our students, especially students of color, English learners, and students with disabilities.”
Fisher is a Worcester native who serves on the Board of Directors of the Joy of Music program, as well as a Board of Trustee Associate at the Nativity School of Worcester. She also served on the Worcester Public Schools Principal Search Committee and on the Worcester Mayor’s Committee on the Creation of an Exam School. She has a bachelor’s degree from Holy Cross and earned master’s and doctoral degrees in education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She has two school-age children in Worcester.
Healey appointed Fisher to the seat previously held by Springfield business leader Tricia Canavan, the CEO of Tech Foundry.
