Mass. Secretary of Education Dr. Patrick Tutwiler

Massachusetts has officially determined Holyoke Public Schools can exit receivership, after a decade under state control. Local leaders say there’s plenty of work ahead, but there’s much to celebrate in the meantime.

For middle school students in Massachusetts, getting into certain trade schools is easier said than done. It can end up being a highly-competitive process, leaving all but high-performing students at a disadvantage, advocates for admissions reform say. The state’s education department is looking to change that, though not everyone’s happy with what has been approved.

The city of Holyoke is on track to regain control of its schools for the first time in a decade, exiting receivership in two months. Before that happens, though, city and state leaders have agreed on several “exit assurances,” leading to protests by the local teachers' union.

The Massachusetts secretary of education gave updates this week on the agency’s commissioner search, as well as Holyoke’s exit from receivership and how the state is handling pressure from the Trump administration.