Malden Public Schools welcomes 33 new educators to the ranks

Mayor Christenson, Superintendent Sippel and administrators greet new teachers at orientation

By Steve Freker

As he delivered his personal greetings in front of the Jenkins Auditorium stage on Wednesday to Malden’s newest public schools educators, Malden Mayor Gary Christenson had a unique perspective. “This is where I literally got my career start many years ago, as President of my Malden High School senior class,” Mayor Christenson – who also serves as chairperson of the Malden School Committee – told the newly hired school staff. He is a 1986 MHS alumnus.

“We want to thank you for committing to the mission of the Malden Public Schools and coming here to take a key role in the education of our community’s students.”

Some 33 new educators who will be joining the ranks of the more than 700 staff members districtwide for the 2024-2025 academic year were welcomed to the Malden Public Schools on Wednesday. A full day of orientation was held at Malden High School, featuring a full day of activities, including a welcome breakfast and greetings from Mayor Gary Christenson, Superintendent Timothy Sippel, Ed.L.D., Assistant Superintendent Pamela Macdonald, Malden Public Schools Director of Wellness and Athletics Charlie Conefrey, Director of Guidance Erin Craven and others and an informal luncheon. Also on hand Wednesday to welcome the new hires was Malden School Committee Vice Chairperson Jennifer Spadafora.

Also welcoming the newly hired educators were Malden Education Association (MEA) president Deb Gesualdo and her team. The MEA hosted a gift table with assorted free school supplies and themed mementos at the entrance to the event in the morning as well.

“We welcome you to the Malden community and thank you for bringing your passion and commitment to the Malden Public Schools,” first-year Malden Superintendent of Schools Timothy Sippel, Ed.L.D. told the new educators. “We look forward to working closely with you and supporting you as we all work together to make this a fantastic school year.”

Superintendent Sippel noted he was “in your shoes as a newly hired teacher” over 30 years previously, in California. “We intend on providing you with all the support you deserve to ensure your career in the Malden Public Schools gets off to a great start this school year,” the Superintendent added.

MEA President Gesualdo and members of her team encouraged the new educators to consider joining the teachers union, noting that beyond the base services of collective bargaining, the Malden union also strives to work on behalf of the city’s staff and students to ensure social justice and housing justice. “We believe we are the only [teachers] union in the state which includes housing justice in its contract for staff and students,” Gesualdo said, noting that the larger affiliation of the MEA, the Mass. Teachers Union, is the largest bargaining unit in the state with 117,000 members. The National Education Association (NEA), with three-million-plus members, is one of the largest in the United States.

Assistant Superintendent for Student Services Pamela Macdonald explained to the new educators that the Malden Public Schools is the #1 most diverse district in Massachusetts. During a brief presentation, she displayed charts showing the more than 90 countries of origin from which students and their families originate as well as another listing the more that 70 languages – when considering different dialects – that are spoken by Malden students and their families, many of whom are also fluent in English.

Director of Athletics Conefrey, who is in his fourth year as a member of the central administrative team that specifically mentors new educators on a year-wide basis, gave a terrific presentation about the Malden community from a historical perspective. He noted heralded alumni from Malden Public Schools like NFL Super Bowl winner Breno Giacomini, “Spirit in the Sky” singer Norman Greenbaum and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Kevin Cullen, among others.

Other well-known success stories who are Malden natives who were mentioned are U.S. Senator Ed Markey – whom MEA President Gesualdo noted was once a Malden Public Schools substitute teacher – and boxing champ “Dangerous” Dana Rosenblatt from the early 2000s.

The new educators are part of an overall Malden Public Schools staff of over 700 employees, working in seven schools, who will welcome over 6,500 students back to school next week on Wednesday, August 28.