Boston teacher Luisa Sparrow receives state’s top educator award

Boston - The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced today that Luisa Sparrow, a special education teacher for fifth- and sixth-grade students at the Oliver Hazard Perry School in South Boston, is the 2025 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year. Governor Maura Healey, Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler, Elementary and Secondary Education Acting Commissioner Russell D. Johnston and Mayor Michelle Wu joined Superintendent Mary Skipper at the school to make the announcement during an assembly today.

“My mom was a school nurse and my stepdad was a public school teacher, so I have a deep appreciation for the incredible work that our educators and staff do day in and day out for their students,” said Governor Maura Healey. “It was so special to have the opportunity to congratulate and celebrate Ms. Sparrow today for her commitment to creating an inclusive learning environment that helps all of her students grow and succeed together.”

“Ms. Sparrow is a great representative of the many amazing educators we have in Massachusetts,” Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll said. “As we recognize her and the team at the Perry School, I hope people will take the opportunity to thank the inspirational teachers in their own lives.”

The Massachusetts Teacher of the Year Program is the state’s top award for educators and annually recognizes excellence in teaching across Massachusetts through the selection of a teacher who exemplifies the dedication, commitment and positive contributions of educators statewide. Over the coming year, Ms. Sparrow will have speaking opportunities within Massachusetts and will travel to California and Washington, D.C. to meet with teachers of the year from the rest of the nation.

“Ms. Sparrow is an example of the exceptional educators we have in Massachusetts who go above and beyond to support all of their students and foster an inclusive learning environment,” said Education Secretary Tutwiler. “It’s a pleasure to celebrate with her, her dedicated team, students and school community today.” 

“Ms. Sparrow empowers her students, values the work of her colleagues and builds bridges across the school,” Acting Commissioner Johnston said. “Congratulations to her and to our finalists, Ms. Ferrari and Ms. Magas!” 

Ms. Sparrow, who has worked with colleagues to create inclusive opportunities for her students and the rest of the school, is the eighth Massachusetts Teacher of the Year to come from the Boston Public Schools. She is the 63rd recipient of this award and automatically becomes Massachusetts’ candidate for the National Teacher of the Year program.

"I am grateful for the educators across Massachusetts and Boston who demonstrate an unwavering dedication to helping students reach their best and brightest futures,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “Teachers like Luisa Sparrow go above and beyond to nurture our young people and build up our school communities, and I am proud to highlight this outstanding member of our BPS community as the MA Teacher of the Year.”

"The entire Boston Public Schools community extends its congratulations to Luisa Sparrow on this incredible honor," said Superintendent Mary Skipper. "We are so proud that Luisa's dedication to and love of her students is being celebrated with this special recognition. Luisa has a passion for fostering a sense of belonging and creating accessibility in the classroom. Her unwavering commitment to making every student at the Perry School feel seen and included is a source of inspiration to all of us."

The selection process for the 2025 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year began in early 2024 with a call for nominations from administrators, teachers, students, parents and others. An initial review of each application led to the selection of eight semifinalists, who then submitted additional supporting material. Three finalists were selected and interviewed by a panel that included prior Massachusetts Teachers of the Year. That panel then recommended two names to Acting Commissioner Johnston, who made the final decision.

“My students, just like all others with significant disabilities, deserve the opportunity to learn alongside their neurotypical peers not because they are able?do many of the same tasks, but simply because everyone deserves a chance to belong,” Ms. Sparrow said.

For the first time this year, the Massachusetts Teacher of the Year will be sponsored by Wellpoint, a health benefits company based in Woburn. Wellpoint is giving a $10,000 grant to Ms. Sparrow’s school and will also be honoring the two finalists. In addition to Ms. Sparrow, the finalists for 2025 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year were Jennifer Ferrari, a visual arts teacher at Lane Elementary School in Bedford, and Kristen Magas, an engineering teacher at Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School in Franklin.

“Wellpoint is proud to honor the hardworking educators in Massachusetts who inspire our next generation of leaders,” said David Morales, general manager of Wellpoint.?“In addition to supporting their whole health, we are committed to supporting educators’ work in the classroom and celebrating the Commonwealth’s outstanding educators.?Congratulations?to Ms. Sparrow, Ms. Ferrari, Ms. Magas, and their schools!”

The semifinalists for this year’s award were:

- Samantha Breen, an English language arts teacher at Hopkinton High School, part of the Hopkinton Public Schools;
- Michael Haddad, a world languages teacher at Lynn English High School, part of the Lynn Public Schools;
- Heather Lang, a special education teacher at Lynn English High School;?
- Ashley O’Neil, a special education teacher at Birchland Park Middle School, part of the East Longmeadow Public Schools; and ?
- Susannah Remillard, an adventure education teacher at Nauset Regional Middle School, part of the Nauset Public Schools.

About Luisa Sparrow

Ms. Sparrow has been teaching for 16 years, eight of those at the Perry School, where she works with other educators in a self-contained classroom for students with intellectual disabilities. She serves on her school’s inclusion planning team and worked with other teachers to create the school’s inclusive Cooking Club. With grants from the Boston Public Schools Teacher Leadership Fund and other sources, groups from the school’s special education and general education classes meet every other week to cook and learn together. The activities are fun and lead to social interaction, and the club uses visual recipes in which each step is accompanied by a photograph, making the activities accessible for students with a wide range of reading abilities. 

In addition to her work with students, Ms. Sparrow supports Boston teachers who are pursuing National Board Certification as an on-call reader through the Boston Public Schools/Boston Teachers Union National Board Program and serves as a Teach Plus Senior Policy Fellow. Outside of school, she supports youth who are experiencing state custody through the foster care system and works with elders to document their life stories. She lives in Wilmington with her family. 

Ms. Sparrow holds a bachelor’s degree in human development from Cornell University, a master’s degree in education with a focus in language and literacy from Harvard Graduate School of Education, and National Board Certification as an exceptional needs specialist.

Her goal as a teacher is to design spaces where students can all learn what they need to learn together.  

About Jennifer Ferrari

Ms. Ferrari’s art classes are student-centered, and her room has multiple stations where students can work with digital tools, sculpt clay, make prints, or use a variety of other materials. She encourages students to follow their interests, and she also connects art projects to events beyond her classroom, such as when her students created pieces about wildlife conservation and displayed them at the local library. 

About Kristen Magas

Ms. Magas became a teacher after working as a civil and environmental engineer. She individualizes her instruction for each student, offering them choices related to real-world problems, from ramps needed for a museum to NASA-related projects. Ms. Magas is currently part of a NASA crew on a 45-day simulated Mars mission in Houston and is expected to return in December.  

About Wellpoint

Wellpoint?is a health benefits company that has served Group Insurance Commission (GIC) members, retirees, and their families for more than 30 years.?Wellpoint?provides health benefits exclusively to people insured through the GIC, offering a variety of plan options that provide comprehensive medical benefits. Learn more at?wellpointmass.com.

To nominate a public school educator to be the 2026 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year, please email [email protected].