WORCESTER — Worcester Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Rachel H. Monárrez will step down at the end of June after accepting a new superintendent position in California, she announced Thursday.
In a letter to families and staff, Monárrez said the decision was made with her family in mind, noting that her husband, Jesus, is retired and that returning to their home state will allow them to spend more time with loved ones.
“Serving as your superintendent has been an incredible honor,” Monárrez wrote in her letter. “Over the past three years, under our guiding mantra—from here, anywhere… together—we have made meaningful progress toward greater equity and opportunity for our scholars.”
Monárrez succeeded Maureen Binienda as superintendent in 2022, following the School Committee’s decision not to renew Binienda’s contract. A longtime Worcester educator, Binienda was later elected as an at-large School Committee member and took office in January 2024.
Although the School Committee gave Monárrez consistently strong ratings in annual evaluations, former superintendent and current at-large member Maureen Binienda remained one of her most vocal critics. According to the Telegram & Gazette, committee meetings often included lengthy exchanges over Monárrez’s policies and leadership approach.
Photo Credit: worcesterschools.org
“The committee serves as people who are elected and they get the pressures of the community to make changes, and everyone has an opinion, and governance is not an easy process,” Monárrez said in an interview with the Telegram & Gazette. “Overall I feel that my school committee has been very supportive of the work that we have been working to achieve in Worcester Public Schools. Whether it is through policy development and revisions, the fiscal challenges, allocating resources based on what strategic plans say, they have been supportive and they have served the role of pushing back when necessary and not just rubber-stamping everything.”
Under her leadership, Worcester Public Schools launched a five-year strategic plan, completed the new Doherty Memorial High School, broke ground on Burncoat High School, and doubled funding for facilities and school safety from $8.2 million to $16.6 million annually.
In her resignation announcement letter, Monárrez also emphasized the importance of listening to student, educator, and family voices through new advisory groups, and credited partnerships with educators and community members for improving trust and reducing staff grievances.
“Most importantly, we have lifted the voices of those we serve. The Superintendent’s Student Advisory Committee, Family and Community Engagement Roundtable, and Educator Advisory Council have provided essential perspectives in shaping our work,” Monárrez wrote. “Our collaboration with the Educational Association of Worcester has resulted in a stronger partnership and a significant reduction in staff grievances. And with the launch of Vision of a Learner, we have set a clear path for what it means to be future-ready upon graduation.”
In a statement about Monárrez’s departure, Mayor Joseph Petty called her “thoughtful, astute, and honest,” and praised her use of the word “scholars” to describe students as a reflection of her belief in their potential.
“Superintendent Monárrez’s vision for our scholars and her awareness of how to make schools better has brought the Worcester Public Schools to the next level,” Petty said in his statement. “Her genuine disposition and brilliant mind have made me feel confident in anything she has ever had to say. Furthermore, Dr. Monárrez has always believed in our children. Language matters, and even a detail as small as using the word ‘scholars’ to describe our students implies our youth’s potential and their ability to do more than what we credit them for. It has always been a pleasure working with her.”
Petty acknowledged that while “Dr. Monárrez’s three years have had their ups and downs,” he maintained trust in all her decisions, particularly her management of the 2025 budget—which included significant cuts last year—and her choice to join a lawsuit opposing federal education cuts.
“Most recently, I felt like I was able to have an open, honest conversation to discuss the option of becoming a declarant in a lawsuit opposing the defunding of the Department of Education,” Petty said in his statement.
The lawsuit, filed on March 24, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts by Democracy Forward, aims to challenge the Trump administration’s executive order seeking to dismantle the Department of Education. Worcester joined the suit as a declarant, supporting the plaintiffs’ position that the department should be preserved.
Monárrez said she has informed the School Committee, her Cabinet, and other stakeholders of her decision and is committed to a smooth transition.
She concluded her letter by encouraging the school community to pursue excellence: “Excellence can be obtained if you … care more than others think is wise; … risk more than others think is safe; … dream more than others think is practical; … expect more than others think is possible.”
