Paul Toner

Paul F. Toner, is the executive director of Teach Plus Massachusetts, where he works to engage and elevate the voices of teachers in local, state and national education policy. Toner has dedicated his career to seeking collaborative, innovative solutions to improving public education. Prior to working at Teach Plus, Toner, a middle school social studies teacher and lawyer, served as vice president and president of the 113,000 member Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) from 2006 to 2014 after serving as president of the Cambridge Teachers Association from 2001 to 2006. As leader of the MTA and CTA, he was a strong advocate for educators and students while working with district and state leaders to focus on improving student achievement through labor-management collaboration. During his tenure, he worked to make the union the voice of the education profession and an integral partner in shaping education policy and legislation such as the state’s Race to the Top application, new teacher-evaluation frameworks, the implementation of new curriculum standards and accountability systems. He also helped to create and launch the Massachusetts Education Partnership, a labor-management support organization focused on improving student achievement. Toner is a member of the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education and has served on numerous education committees and task forces including Governor Deval Patrick’s Readiness Project and Governor Charles Baker’s Education Transition Committee. He is also a Pahara-Aspen Teacher Leader Fellow.