Malden Superintendent of Schools gets high marks after Year One

Superintendent’s evaluation a key topic at special School Committee meeting

By Steve Freker

  They may not be unanimous in all matters they vote on individually, but the members of the Malden School Committee were all in agreement on this one. The consensus of the members revealed this week is they believe Superintendent of Schools Dr. Timothy Sippel is off to a productive and successful start after a full calendar and academic year guiding the Malden Public Schools.

As part of a written evaluation discussed Monday, School Committee Chairperson and Mayor Gary Christenson gave Dr. Sippel the highest “grade” possible. “I have been Mayor now for 13 years and I have never seen a stronger start for a first-year Superintendent than I have for Tim Sippel,” Mayor Christenson stated in his evaluation.

At a special School Committee meeting called Monday night — mainly for the purpose of discussing terms of the new teachers contract — the members also dealt with another key topic, the official Superintendent Evaluation. The Superintendent Evaluation is mandatory in Massachusetts for all licensed educators, including superintendents. The state’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has established a system for evaluating superintendents, which is part of the broader state-mandated educator evaluation system.

As outlined by School Committee Vice Chair Jennifer Spadafora (Ward 3) at Tuesday’s meeting, this system includes a five-step evaluation cycle, self-assessment and summative evaluation. As explained by Vice Chair Spadafora, the steps taken by the School Committee‚ in concert with the DESE guidelines included:

• Superintendent Establishes Goals and Focus Indicators
• School Committee Votes to Approve Goals
• Superintendent Submits Self Evaluation
• School Committee Members Submit Completed Individual Evaluations
• Compiler Creates Composite Evaluation

The last step, following the five-step Evaluation Cycle, is a School Committee vote to enter the Evaluation into the record.

The Evaluation Cycle follows a timeline that began just before the start of the Malden Public Schools academic year, which began in late August 2024. That is when Superintendent Sippel outlined and established his “goals and focus indicators,” which were then in turn approved by the School Committee. Early in June, according to Vice Chair Spadafora, the Superintendent submitted a self-evaluation and the individual members of the School Committee also submitted their evaluations. Using these submissions, a composite evaluation was created, which was presented by Vice Chair Spadafora at Monday night’s special meeting.

Following are the Goals and Focus Indicators submitted by the Superintendent and accepted by the School Committee at the start of the 2025-26 academic year:

—Goal 1: Effective Entry and Direction Setting (District Improvement)

• By late spring 2025, the district should have broad agreement by stakeholders about

(a) The District’s most critical needs for improvement

(b) The strategies and goals that will affect them most effectively, and

(c) The measures that will be used to assess progress

—Goal 2: Maintaining Focus on Continuous Improvement During the Transition (Student Learning)

• Through the collaboration of a common vision of effective instruction, keep the district moving forward during this year’s transition by working with the districtwide leadership team to ensure that meaningful improvement is underway at the classroom, school and district levels.

—Goal 3: New Superintendent Induction Program (Professional Practice)

• Develop skills in strategy development, data analysis and instructional leadership by completing the first year of the New Superintendent induction (NSIP) program and earning at least a “Proficient” rating on each assignment.

Following the explanation of the Goals Platform, Vice Chair Spadafora shared some of the written comments from fellow School Committee members/evaluators in the course of the process. (See separate box.) All of the comments were descriptive and quite favorable of Dr. Sippel’s first year. Included were high praise from both the chairperson of the School Committee, Mayor Gary Christenson, and Vice Chair Spadafora.

The fourth-term Mayor, who has seen five different Superintendents launch their careers leading the Malden Public Schools since he was first elected in 2011, gave Dr. Sippel the highest “grade” possible. “From Instructional Leadership to Community Engagement to working well with the School Committee, I think Superintendent Sippel has the makings of being one of the best to pass through our community,” Mayor Christenson stated in his evaluation.

In a direct reference to what could be said to be the Superintendent’s most prodigious accomplishment — in direct collaboration with the School Committee — this school year, the Mayor added, “I look forward to Year Two, especially now that he was able to lead us to a 3-year agreement with the MEA [Malden Education Association].”

Vice Chair Spadafora spoke to the advanced communication that has marked Dr. Sippel’s first year in the Malden schools. “Superintendent Sippel has made it his priority to listen, above anything else,” the Vice Chair stated. “He has listened to students, educators and caregivers to ensure every decision made has aligned with the core values of the district.”

“Change can only happen when we listen to the people it affects. Bravo Tim!” she added.

In the actual evaluation ratings, 99% of the responses in the “Goals Met” category were rated “Met Expectations” or higher. School Committee member Joseph Gray (Ward 6) rated two of three categories “Exceed Expectations,” while Mayor Christenson rated “Exceeded” in all three categories.

In the evaluation of “Assessing Performance on Standards,” all School Committee members unanimously rated the Superintendent “Proficient” or higher in “Instructional Leadership” and “Management and Operations.” Gray and Mayor Christenson rated Dr. Sippel “Exemplary” — the highest possible rating — in both, for Year One.

In “Family and Community Engagement” and “Professional Culture,” School Committee members Michael Drummey (Ward 1) and Robert McCarthy Jr. (Ward 2) both joined Gray and Mayor Christenson is rating Dr. Sippel “Exemplary” in both, with members Vice Chair Spadafora, Dawn Macklin (Ward 4), Elizabeth Hortie (Ward 5), Keith Bernard (Ward 7) and Sharyn Rose-Zeiberg (Ward 8) rating the Superintendent “Proficient” in these areas.

For the overall evaluation, it all came out to a rating of “Proficient” from members Drummey, McCarthy, Vice Chair Spadafora, Macklin, Bernard and Rose-Zeiberg, and “Exemplary” from Gray and Chair/Mayor Christenson.

After a brief discussion following the release of the results initiated by Ward 2’s McCarthy on student attendance and those results he would like to see reported on, all agreed, at the suggestion of Mayor Christenson, to include more detailed information in Year Two goals. “It [student attendance] should be an important part of our focus and something to be looked into,” McCarthy said.

At the conclusion of the Superintendent Evaluation presentation and before a unanimous vote in favor of accepting the committee report on the evaluation, Dr. Sippel had a few remarks. “I’d like to thank the School Committee for your support,” Dr. Sippel said. “From Day One, you’ve been very welcoming to me and you’ve been a very collaborative group.”

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Excerpts of Malden School Committee members’ written Year One evaluation of Superintendent Timothy Sippel, Ed.L.D.

“The Superintendent has continually made communication of the highest priority, has worked very hard to have an open dialogue, listen to stakeholders in the district and to make major improvements in the districts in a positive manner.”

— Robert McCarthy Jr., representing Ward 2

***

“The Superintendent has done excellent work this year and I have had many opportunities to watch him operate. His style and ways in managing the relationships has been a refreshing change. I look forward to seeing what Dr. Sippel can accomplish in following years.”

—Keith Bernard, representing Ward 7

***

“Dr. Sippel has made a concerted effort to understand the tradition and culture of the Malden Public Schools while examining areas that need to be addressed and uncovering needs. He has attended multiple community events, almost all school-related activities and otherwise become a member of the Malden community. He believes in transparency and is always available to answer questions.”

— Elizabeth Hortie, representing Ward 5

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“Very impressed with the focused and comprehensive approach in all aspects of the position. First time seeing such an all-around embrace of the position in many years of watching superintendents.”

— Joseph Gray, representing Ward 6

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“The Superintendent has worked diligently to establish and maintain frequent, consistent communication with SC members. I appreciate his efforts to connect with the community both in formal meeting sessions and informal sessions, such as community events. The Superintendent provided excellent input into recent contract negotiations. He is making strides in assessing needs for the District and implementing plans to meet those needs, across all areas, from academics to after school needs.”

— Sharyn Rose-Zeiberg, representing Ward 8

***

“Dr. Sippel hit the ground running. He came in, set up his Entry Plan and proceeded to accomplish what he started. He’s straight forward, calls it as he sees it. Let’s the staff do their jobs and only interjects when asked or required. The district has a much more relaxed and harmonious feel to it, which it hasn’t had for a long time. Good 1st year!”

— Michael Drummey, representing Ward 1