SPS Director of DEIE Laura Assade ‘03 Named to DESE Racial Imbalance Advisory Council
Laura Assade begins three-year term through September 2028
SALEM (Oct. 21, 2025) – Laura Assade, Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Engagement at Salem Public Schools, was named to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Racial Imbalance Advisory Council, DESE announced recently.
A graduate of the Salem High School Class of 2003, Laura will serve a three-year term with the RIAC, which runs through September 2028.
“I’m very excited,” said Laura, who has served in her role at SPS since July 2021. “I’ve been a public servant for 18 years. It’s an honor to be able to serve at the state level and to work directly with the RIAC members and the commissioner and identify ways to impact student outcomes.”
Laura is one of 11 members of the Council, which includes Massachusetts school leaders and educators, representatives from non-profit organizations and foundations, CEOs, and students. The Council, along with new State Commissioner of Education, Pedro Martinez, will focus on the top recommendations listed in the 2024-25 RIAC Annual Report.
Among the 18 recommendations include:
- To bring DESE, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE), and local districts into compliance with racial imbalance laws through working with the state legislature.
- To assist DESE and BESE in clarifying and strengthening their oversight responsibilities.
- To not only study racial segregation in schools, but also in housing.
- Identify pathways to robust, sustained outcomes in segregated non-white schools
- To lobby the state legislature for the appropriate funding to bring the recommendations to fruition.
The Council’s goals align with Laura’s goals: She is looking forward to understanding different school districts and closing the gaps where racial imbalances occur.
“I want to gain a more direct knowledge of systemic racial imbalances that exist across the state,” she explained. “I’m very proud of the high quality of education in our state. I’m looking forward to finding the core issues that are causing unsuccessful student outcomes.
“I want to learn from RIAC members and understand what the data reveals around the demographics of communities and the resources poured into them,” she added. “I’m curious to know and understand how these pieces come together.”
Prior to coming to SPS, Laura served as Director of Constituent Services, Latino Affairs and LGBTQ+ Liaison for former Mayor Kim Driscoll, currently the Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts, from 2015-21.
Laura completed the DESE Influence 100 program in 2023, a two-year program which cultivates the next superintendents of color.
Her appointment to the RIAC aligns nicely with the core principles of the District’s Strategic Plan, particularly the core value of empowering educators.
A native of Salem, Laura is a 2007 graduate of the University of Massachusetts where she earned her degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and a certificate in translation and interpretation. She resides in Lynn, Mass., with her family.
About Salem Public Schools
Salem Public Schools is an urban public school district in Salem, Massachusetts, a small, diverse city with a proud maritime and immigrant history. Our leaders and our teachers are passionate about education and understand the urgency of improving student achievement with equity and social-emotional needs as the lens through which we view our work. We respect and value the racial, cultural, and linguistic diversity of our students and their families, and have a strong commitment to the Salem community. Salem Public Schools staff unconditionally serves each of our 4,000 students across 11 schools regardless of ability or language.
