‘NEVER FORGET’: Recurring plea from topical speakers will be realized through new grant for schools

Malden Public Schools students will benefit from DESE-provided Genocide Education Grant

By Steve Freker

A recurring plea has been made by many speakers who have appeared in one of more of Malden’s schools over the past many years: Never forget! A compelling and important topic that must be addressed with all students got a major boost recently with the announcement that the Malden Public Schools have been awarded a grant to provide resources for genocide education. Malden’s state delegation, including State Senator Jason Lewis (D-5th Middlesex) and State Representatives Paul Donato (D-Malden, Medford) Steve Ultrino (D-Malden) and Kate Lipper-Garabedian (D-Malden, Melrose) this week announced that Malden Public Schools are receiving a $40,000 Genocide Education Grant from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), which oversees all of the Commonwealth’s public schools.

The Malden Public Schools have been on the forefront of educating its students of the presence and tragedy of genocide in the world throughout history, including the Holocaust of World War II where millions of Jews and those other cultures were murdered. The intent of the education is multi-layered, according to Gerard Tannetta, Director of History/Social Studies, Visual and Performing Arts for the Malden Public Schools: to teach students the history of genocide through the years with the ultimate intent of preventing it.

“This is a major plus for our district,” Tannetta told the Advocate. “This grant will provide the resources to support our educators and administrators in so many ways and on different levels for this very important educational topic.”

The focus of the education on genocide will be for Malden High School’s nearly 2,000 students, MHS Principal Chris Mastrangelo confirmed, though another 1,000 7th and 8th graders will also be included in the scope of this education, Tannetta said.

“We are so pleased with this grant as we want our students to be fully aware of this tough topic of genocide education,” Principal Mastrangelo said. “We have had numerous speakers through the past several years who have given first-hand accounts of genocide in their lives, particularly the Holocaust. Our students have been very appreciative and receptive to these important recollections and information.”

The most notable of these speakers was the late Israel “Izzy” Arbeiter, an Auschwitz concentration camp survivor, who passed away at age 96 in 2001. Arbeiter became a close personal friend of Malden Mayor Gary Christenson, chairperson of the Malden School Committee, after his many talks on the Holocaust at Malden High.

Genocide Education Grants are intended to support districts in selecting and/or developing curriculum, providing professional development and creating enrichment experiences related to genocide education. The grant provides support to districts to train educators in content knowledge and pedagogical skills relevant to genocide education, to sustainably incorporate genocide education resources into core curricula and to provide meaningful learning experiences for students relating to genocide education.

In 2021, the Massachusetts state legislature passed a new law to require all public middle and high schools to provide instruction in the history and patterns of genocide. Districts may integrate genocide education across a variety of subjects, such as history, civics and English Language Arts.

“Teaching our students about human rights and the history of genocide is essential to ensuring that these atrocities don’t happen again,” said Senator Lewis, who also serves as the Senate Chair of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Education. “I’m very pleased that Malden Schools are receiving this state grant to support their genocide education efforts.”

“With this grant, Malden Public Schools reaffirms their dedication to encouraging students to critically engage with the past,” said Representative Donato. “By focusing on the world’s dark history, students can foster empathy, resilience, and a commitment to social justice. It is our duty to provide a holistic education to our youth so that society can continue to positively move forward.”

“It is not only important for our students to learn both about the atrocities of the past, but to use this knowledge to address and understand a wide range of current issues in our society,” said Representative Ultrino. “These funds will ensure that our students receive a more in-depth education on pertinent historical and current events related to genocide. Congratulations again to Malden Public Schools for successfully pursuing this grant funding!”

“As a former educator, I find it essential that students receive accurate history and civics curriculum; this includes the history of genocide to ensure history does not repeat itself,” said Representative Lipper-Garabedian. “I was proud to vote for Massachusetts’s genocide education law, and I am glad that Malden Schools will be receiving this state funding to support genocide education in student learning.”