“Two years ago, I said we’d have universal pre-K in every Gateway City. I said we’d do that by the end of 2026. You know what? We’re going to do that ahead of schedule. We’ve also added 20,000 more child care seats. That’s a big deal for those little kids who need care and a big deal for their parents who can go to work.

“We know our kids struggled through Covid, right? We know that there are some things that we’ve got to account for, make up for, and that’s why we’re making big investments in literacy and high-dose tutoring to close the gaps. And it’s going to happen this year. This year, we’re also going to have the best statewide, high school graduation standard in the country. You know what? It’s also going to include financial literacy.”

“I’m glad we care about our kids. We care about education. And we will make sure that every student is ready to succeed, whether they’re off to college, a career, a trade, or the military.”

— Governor Maura Healey, State of the Commonwealth Address, January 22, 2026