New Malden High School principal is appointed for 2026-27 school year

MPS Supt. announces Boston Public Schools administrator Michael Sabin will take reins at MHS July 1

By Steve Freker

A new principal has been appointed to lead Malden High School, following a search-and-hire process which began in December and continued through the end of this past month of February. Superintendent of Schools Timothy Sippel told the members of the Malden School Committee at its regular meeting Monday night that he has appointed Michael Sabin as the next principal at Malden High School, effective July 1, 2026. Supt. Sippel informed administrators and staff at Malden High School of the decision just before the start of the meeting in an email message early Monday.

Sabin is coming to Malden from the Boston Public Schools, where he is now in his fourth school year as Executive Director of School and District Transformation. Before that he had served seven years as principal at the McDevitt Middle School in Waltham. He also served as a K-8 principal in Boston for five years and before that, two years as a Somerville K-8 school leader. His career education, spanning 35 years in all, began as a teacher in the Cambridge Public Schools in 1991.

In his message Friday, Superintendent Sippel said, “I am pleased to announce the formal appointment of Michael Sabin as the next principal of Malden High School, effective July 1, 2026. The expertise he brings from many years as an urban school leader will be an asset as we continue our work to do right by all kids.”

Supt. Sippel described Sabin’s present professional position in Boston, where he is “leading work within the district to support a large caseload of schools who are identified by the state as needing assistance. “[Sabin] collaborates with principals and school leadership teams to raise achievement, including in some of Boston’s most complex high schools, and schools have made significant academic growth and exited state intervention with his support,” Supt. Sippel stated.

The MPS Superintendent noted Sabin is bilingual, fluent in Spanish, including seven years as a bilingual teacher in Cambridge and Lawrence, as well a year abroad, teaching at a high school in the Central American country of Colombia in 2007-2008.

The Superintendent described the search/selection process, relating that Sabin emerged as the top candidate for the position after two rounds of interviews, the first with a community panel that included staff, students, caregivers and community members, and a second with senior district leaders. As the finalist, Sabin visited Malden High last Thursday, February 26 in a three-session day/evening to meet with students, faculty and staff, members of the School Committee and parents and caregivers. The final step was a one-on-one interview with the Superintendent, before the hiring was announced Monday.

“Mr. Sabin is looking forward to working with all of the teachers, students and families to build on Malden High’s great traditions and meet the needs of all community members,” Supt. Sippel said.

Sabin will be replacing outgoing nine-year Malden High School Principal Chris Mastrangelo, who is in his 17th year at MHS. Mastrangelo succeeded Ted Lombardi, who served just one year as principal before departing mid-year in 2017 for the Boston Public Schools. Previously, Mastrangelo was a Malden High House Principal for eight years. He is in his 33rd year as an educator.