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Superintendent Dr. Armand Pires was named the 2025 Massachusetts Superintendent of the Year by AASA, The School Superintendents Association. (Photo Courtesy Medway Public Schools)
The Medway School Committee has announced that Dr. Armand Pires was named the 2025 Massachusetts Superintendent of the Year by AASA, The School Superintendents Association, during the group's national conference held in New Orleans from March 6 to 8.
Dr. Pires was nominated by a colleague from the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, which is an AASA Affiliate Association. He will be honored with the award during the November Superintendent of the Year Gala and Forum.
"The Medway School Committee is proud to celebrate Dr. Pires as Massachusetts Superintendent of the Year," said Medway School Committee Chair Cindy Sullivan. "His dedication, visionary leadership, and commitment to student success has made a great impact on our schools and our community."
The National Superintendent of the Year Program pays tribute to the talent, vision, and problem-solving abilities of the men and women who lead our nation's public schools. The program is meant to recognize outstanding leadership of active, front-line superintendents. The criteria for the award include leadership for learning, communication skills, professionalism, and community involvement.
"Under Dr. Pires’ leadership, we have seen progress in student achievement and innovative programs," Chair Sullivan said. "He works collaboratively with educators, families, and the community to ensure that every student has access to high-quality education and opportunities for success. This well-deserved recognition is a testament to his hard work and passion for education. On behalf of the Medway School Committee, we congratulate Dr. Pires on this outstanding achievement. We look forward to continuing to build on the progress made under his leadership."
Dr. Pires has been the superintendent of Medway Public Schools for nearly 10 years, first coming to the school district as a middle school principal in 2010, then spending two years as assistant superintendent and director of curriculum, instruction, and assessment.
He is also the current president of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, serving a one-year term that started in May 2024.
A native of Central Falls, R.I., Dr. Pires originally sought a career in public health before realizing his true calling as an educator about 28 years ago during his graduate studies when he accepted a job as a grants coordinator and a physical education teacher in the Needham Public Schools. A graduate of Rhode Island College who gained a master's degree from the Boston University School of Public Health, he went on to earn his doctorate in education from the University of Rhode Island.
Throughout his time leading Medway Public Schools, Dr. Pires has been recognized for strengthening core programs, including moving to tuition-free full-day kindergarten, embracing best practices in literacy education through the science of reading approach, expanding open access to Advanced Placement courses, growing the district's Project Lead the Way courses, and gaining designation for three Innovation Pathways from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
The Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents and AASA also recognized him for effectively managing significant and continuing budget challenges.
In addition to his accomplishments with academic programming and fiscal management, Dr. Pires was early to recognize the crisis in student mental health, calling for the creation of a Director of Wellness position and embracing the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) framework that was established by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"The result has been a comprehensive and innovative approach to student programming," according to a statement published by AASA, celebrating the accomplishments of Dr. Pires. "He is recognized as a leader among his peers."
Dr. Pires thanked his colleagues, mentors, and the Medway School Committee for all of their support, crediting them for making all of this possible.
"This recognition reflects the collective effort of the outstanding teachers, administrators, and staff of the Medway Public Schools who are supported by our amazing School Committee," said Dr. Pires. "I am deeply honored. Thank you to the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents for this acknowledgment and to all of my colleagues and mentors who inspire me every day to do this work to ensure the success of all students."
