Emilys Peña
Emilys Peña is the Assistant Superintendent in Watertown Public Schools, where she oversees curriculum, instruction, and assessment, and plays a key role in leading districtwide strategy, professional learning, and systems that support all students. She is deeply committed to ensuring equitable access to rigorous, grade-level learning and to disrupting systems and practices that create barriers for marginalized students.
Emilys brings over 30 years of experience in education, including more than 20 years in leadership roles. Prior to her current role, she served in both Malden and Boston Public Schools as a teacher, literacy specialist, director of instruction, assistant headmaster, and district leader. Across her career, she has remained grounded in a commitment to multilingual learners, students with disabilities, and culturally and linguistically diverse communities, including Deaf and Hard of Hearing students. She has also supported school quality review work in partnership with state education agencies.
Originally from Puerto Rico, Emilys is proudly trilingual and tricultural, fluent in Spanish, English, and American Sign Language. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University in elementary and Deaf education, a Master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education focused on language, literacy, and international education, and a Doctorate in Educational and Organizational Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. She also studied abroad in Argentina.
At the core of her work is a belief that schools must move beyond culture-neutral approaches and take intentional action to ensure all students have the opportunities and support they need to succeed.