Page 8 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, April 10, 2026 SCHOOL | FROM PAGE 1 istrators and staff as well as surveys of parents and caregivers. In addition, EmpowerEd staff also conducted on-site observations at MPS schools. Supt. Sippel and Assistant Supt. of Student Services Pamela McDonald thanked EmpowerEd personnel as well as MPS staff for their mutual collaboration in creating the audit report and both stressed there is much work ahead in analyzing the report, as well as planning “next steps.” “This is a beginning and there is much work ahead to ensure our families and their students receive the services they require and deserve,” Supt. Sippel said of the approximately 1,100 MPS students with disabilities who receive special education and related services. According to the EmpowerEd audit report, the Malden Public Schools Special Education Department’s strengths include: • There is a strong commitment to inclusive special education practices • Foundational instructional structures are consistently in place. • Positive student-staff interactions and a culture of care are evident. • Strong systems for service delivery and procedural compliance are in place. • There is a strong foundation of collaboration and shared responsibility among staff. • Staffing data reflects an investment in special education personnel at the school level. EmpowerEd’s report also identified areas of growth, or improvement, which included: • Variability in instructional practices may be limiting the academic outcomes typically associated with inclusive placement for students with disabilities. • Students with more complex needs would benefit from greater access to the general education curriculum. • There is a need to clearly define the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) process and expand targeted interventions prior to placing students in substantially separate environments. • Instructional practices observed across classrooms are largely consistent in structure but limited in rigor, differentiation and student engagement. Some defined recommendations from EmpowerEd for the Special Education Department included: • Strengthen communication, clarity and transparency across Malden Public Schools by establishing consistent districtwide processes, clearly defined program information, and aligned communication practices so that staff, families and administrators share a common understanding of services, supports and decision-making structures. • Establish a coherent, multiyear professional learning system to strengthen instructional practices that support inclusive education across Malden Public Schools. • Review the placement of students with low-incidence disabilities in more restrictive placements and determine which supports are necessary to provide greater access to general education. School Committee votes to adopt Fishtank Learning for Grades 9-10 English Language Arts (ELA) Curriculum After a presentation by Assistant Supt. of Teaching and Learning Komal Bhasin, the School Committee voted to adopt a new provider for ELA Curriculum. According to information on its website, fishtanklearning.com, “Fishtank ELA is a high-quality, knowledge-building English Like us on Facebook advocate newspaper Facebook.com/Advocate.news.ma Home of the Week SAUGUS - 1st OPEN HOUSES - Sat 4/11 & Sun 4/12 - 11:30 – 12:30 / Wonderful Hillview West Condominium offers 5 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 2 full baths, great open floor plan, spacious living room with decorative fireplace, dining area, door leading to private balcony, NEW engineered flooring, eat-in kitchen, convenient in-unit laundry hook-up, bedroom with newer carpeting and NEW Anderson sliding glass to balcony, primary bedroom with newer carpeting and private bath. NEW heat pump (2026), replacement windows, newer hot water heater (2020), TWO parking spaces, corner unit offers great sunlight, extra storage, inground pool. Conveniently located off Lynn Fells Parkway - close to everything! Care-free living at it's best! Dir: Lynn Fells Parkway to Forest St. to 9 Thomas Street, Unit C7 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Commonwealth Real Estate Formerly Carpenito Real Estate Welcome Home to Hillview West Offered at $425,000 (781) 233-7300 335 Central St. Saugus commonmoves.com ©2024 BHH Affiliates, LLC, An independently owned and operated franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of Columbia Insurance Company, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate. Equal Housing Opportunity. Language Arts curriculum designed to help students develop into critical readers, writers, and thinkers as they engage with authentic texts that affirm their experiences and expand their perspectives.” Assistant Supt. Bhasin reviewed an extensive process and timeline that began six months ago, in September, which led to the recommendation of Fishtank Learning. In September 2025, Supt. Sippel announced the intent of the School Department to select a new ELA curriculum for Grades 9-10, which would begin use in Fall 2026 for the 2026-2027 academic year. An ELA Curriculum Advisory Committee was formed and began meeting. In December 2025, the ELA Curriculum Committee developed local criteria “based on stakeholder input” and reviewed eight potential curriculum providers. In January 2026, the committee selected two of the curricula — including Fishtank Learning — to conduct lesson trials. In February and March, family input sessions were held as well as lesson trials, followed by surveys of teachers and students, based on the lesson trials. Based on the data collected, Assistant Supt. Bhasin said, Fishtank Learning was recommended as the new ELA Curriculum provider for Grades 9-10 moving forward, which was then forwarded by Supt. Sippel as his recommendation, which led to Monday’s adoption vote by the School Committee. New Malden High Principal Michael Sabin appears at School Committee meeting Newly appointed Malden High School Principal Michael Sabin appeared at Monday’s School Committee meeting and briefly addressed the members. Sabin was introduced to the School Committee on Monday by Supt. Sippel, having recently been appointed to assume his new post on July 1, 2026, when the new school year (2026-27) officially begins. The incoming Malden High principal presently serves as Executive Director of School and District Transformation for Boston Public Schools. Sabin previously served as principal of John W. McDevitt Middle School in Waltham for seven years and as a K-8 principal in Boston and Somerville. Sabin was selected after a two-month search process, with his appointment announced in March by Superintendent Sippel.
9 Publizr Home