March 22, 2022

Dr. Mariel Novas- Boston Education Expert Conversations

Boston Education Expert Conversations Series 

E4E-Boston will engage in thought-provoking conversations with individuals in Massachusetts who are making an impact on education or have specific insight into education systems. These conversations will be  30 minutes and will be livestreamed. Through our discussion we will illuminate what is already being done to address pressing issues in education policy, and what the participant believes still needs to happen to ensure an equitable and excellent education system in the Commonwealth. 

Episode 102 – Conversation with Dr. Mariel Novas

March 22, 2022 | 6PM EST

E4E-Boston State Director Lisa Lazare will sit down with Dr. Mariel Novas, an education advocate who recently served as Mayor Wu’s Transition Director, to discuss the burnout that is manifesting in workplaces across the country, including in schools. They’ll touch on the factors leading educators of color especially to resign, how schools can center healing, and what building a movement looks like in Boston today.

Host: Lisa Lazare

Lisa Lazare is the State Director of Educators For Excellence-Boston. Lisa joins Educators for Excellence to continue positively impacting communities of color in education. As an immigrant and a woman of color, there have been many spaces where she felt her voice was either stifled or not allowed. As State Director, she grounds herself in listening to the needs of her community and always bears in mind that best intentions do not always have the intended impact.

More About Lisa 
Guest: Dr. Mariel Novas

An immigrant from the Dominican Republic who was both a student and later a teacher in the Boston Public Schools, Mariel is an education advocate who promotes radical healing and social justice through people power and community organizing. Most recently, Mariel served as Mayor Michelle Wu’s Transition Director, leading and managing an expedited, historic transition. As Director of Partnerships & Engagement for Massachusetts at The Education Trust, she convened the Massachusetts Education Equity Partnership (MEEP), a statewide coalition of civil rights, social justice, and education advocates advancing educational & racial equity in historically underserved communities. Prior to joining Ed Trust, she launched the Homegrown Program at Teach For America-Massachusetts, co-founded the Boston Education Action Network, and joyfully served as a middle school math teacher in Dorchester to newcomers from Latin America.

Mariel holds a doctorate in Education Leadership (Ed.L.D) from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, a Master’s in Curriculum & Teaching from Boston University, and a Bachelor’s in History & Ethnicity, Race, and Migration from Yale University. In 2018, Mariel was selected as a recipient of El Mundo Boston’s Latino 30 Under 30 award. She enjoys singing bachatas loudly in her car and believes in nature therapy.