Mayor Michelle Wu announced Rebecca Grainger as her Senior Advisor for Youth and Schools. In this role, Grainger will work in close partnership with the Mayor, Boston Public Schools, and senior City officials to advance the Mayor’s commitment to making Boston the most family-friendly city in the country. Grainger will also be responsible for standing up the Boston Children’s Cabinet, charged with coordinating City services that impact children and their families and creating a civic ecosystem that allows all children to thrive inside and outside of school. Grainger brings more than 20 years of experience working in education, including time with Somerville Public Schools. She officially started with the City of Boston at the end of August.
“Setting up our kids and teens for success is crucial to the future of Boston, and City Hall needs to play an important role in connecting our families to the services they deserve,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “I’m thrilled that Rebecca joins our team with a deep knowledge of breaking systemic barriers in our education system. Together with our Superintendent and Office of Early Childhood, we’ll make sure children of all ages have opportunities for growth in and out of school.”
Grainger served her first decade in education as a high school science teacher and department chair at Sierra High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She is recognized as a Distinguished Educator and Hall of Fame Distinguished Alumna. Her work has centered on dismantling racial inequities in our education systems and youth programming.
Most recently, Grainger led the instructional design for Black Futures Lab’s Black Policy Institute, a fellowship to prepare selected Fellows to craft policy that advances Black political power, change the way power operates, and improve the lives of Black people.
“I’m honored to join Mayor Wu and the team at City Hall in supporting youth and families throughout the city of Boston,” said Rebecca Grainger, Senior Advisor for Youth and Schools. “I look forward to listening deeply to understand history and to advocate thoughtfully in tackling barriers that have limited access to resources and opportunity. I’m excited to collaborate with the many talented minds and actors working across schools, city departments, sectors, and communities to strengthen existing and cultivate new programs, partnerships, and avenues to lend to the bright futures of the youth of Boston.”
As Senior Advisor, Grainger will aim to build trust with young people, families, and communities from diverse backgrounds, including those who have not historically been well-served by government programs to understand needs and drive key priorities. Grainger will shape and drive a youth policy agenda both inside and outside of schools, expand meaningful opportunities for teens to increase access to choice post-high school, and guide collaborative partnerships across schools, City departments, and non-governmental service providers to align education and other vital services for children and families.
Grainger holds her doctorate in Education Leadership (Ed.L.D.) from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She spent her doctoral residency in Somerville Public Schools where she worked in close partnership with incoming BPS Superintendent Mary Skipper. Her capstone work centered on the use of data to strategically redesign inequitable systems.
Grainger lives in the West End with her husband.
