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THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, August 2, 2024 Page 17 SCHOOLS| FROM PAGE 1 ● Collaborative teachers ● Involved families ● Supportive environments ● Ambitious instruction The phases outlined in this Entry Plan reflect my commitment to make a thoughtful, transparent, and deliberate entry into the school district— and to take the necessary time to learn how all of the ingredients listed above are currently working together in Malden. I will also refer to these factors as I prepare to report my findings and make recommendations for our collective path forward. Overall Goals of the Entry Plan ● Ensure that voices of all members of the community, including those who may not usually participate, are able to collaborate and engage with the school district ● Establish monthly one-onone meetings with each School Committee member to deepen relationships, create feedback loops, and broaden perspectives ● Identify and implement activities that will make the 20242025 school year successful and set the stage for strategic planning that will carry the Malden Public Schools into the future Phase 1: Immersion into the Malden Community July through August 2024 Following the beginning of my official tenure on July 1, I will devote time to connecting with School Committee members, district and city leaders, school building principals, union leadership, key elected officials, families, youth groups, businesses, community organizations, faith-based leaders, and higher education partners. The purpose of these gatherings will be to foster relationships, ensure visibility, and share my educational philosophy and core values while learning about the dreams and desires of Malden Public Schools stakeholders. The gatherings will take varying forms, including: ● Weekly meetings with the Mayor and School Committee Vice Chairperson ● Monthly one-on-one meetings with School Committee Members ● “Meet and Greet” gatherings/receptions with various groups —Malden Education Association President and Executive Board (first informal meeting held June 14; regular meetings are to be scheduled) —Principals (first group meeting held on June 10; regular meetings to be scheduled VISITING CLASSROOMS: As part of his Entry Plan, Superintendent Timothy Sippel has pledged to visit at least 50% of the classrooms in the Malden Public Schools by the end of November. (Courtesy/Malden Public Schools) for August onwards) —District curriculum directors and program managers —Legislative Delegation (meeting scheduled for Monday, August 19) —Union leaders —Parent advisory groups (including SEPAC, DPTO, ELPAC and school site councils) —Cultural advocacy organization(s) —Chamber of Commerce and/or other business groups —Nonprofit, community-based organizations —Religious organizations —Service organizations ● Introductory visits and discussions with school leadership teams ● Meetings with central office administrators and staff ● Interviews (to be determined and scheduled) ● Orientation and back-toschool professional development planning At the first regularly scheduled School Committee meeting in September, I will provide a status update on my Entry Plan including any preliminary trends I have identified through the summer months. Phase 2: Listening to Learn August through November 2024 I will meet with individuals and groups to ask inquiry questions and gather information in a structured format. The theme of this phase is to gather focused information from internal and external stakeholders while continuing to nurture relationships and value traditions and successes of the past. The format for collecting the information will include, but not be limited to, the following: ● Individual or small group conversations with internal stakeholders ● “Listening to Learn” forums and focus groups (in-person and/or virtual) with internal and external stakeholders ● Review of existing documents, policies and procedures ● Review of diverse sets of performance data, for the district as a whole and for individual schools and specific groups of students ● Internal Stakeholders to Include: —All School Committee members —Key teachers and union leaders —Key non-instructional workers and union leaders —School principals —Curriculum directors and Special Education program managers —City and district operations supervisors —Key parent and caregiver leaders —Teachers and support staff at each school —Families and caregivers at each school —Student leaders of various groups —Former district leaders and employees ● External Stakeholders to Include: —Key elected officials —Police Chief, Fire Chief, and heads of other City departments —Superintendents of surrounding school districts —Officials from the Department of Education and Secondary Education (DESE) —Regional philanthropies and educational foundations —Higher education institutions (colleges, universities, and technical schools) —Leaders of various community-based organizations (e.g., service clubs, Chamber of Commerce, nonprofit agencies, and advocacy groups) Inquiry Questions: 1. What are you most proud of in the Malden Public Schools? What are its greatest successes? 2. What are the areas of challenge that students in the district are facing? What are some of the district’s biggest challenges? MEETING WITH STAKEHOLDERS: Superintendent Timothy Sippel plans to meet with stakeholders in the district, including students, staff and families. (Courtesy/Malden Public Schools) alongside the information collected through the structured gatherings and document review. Data collection structures will include, but is not limited to: ● School and classroom visits ● Engagement at faculty and staff meetings ● Participation in Parent Advisory meetings ● Observation of professional learning opportunities ● Attendance at selected City Council meetings & other government gatherings Phase 4: Analysis and Sharing December 2024 through February 2025 Upon completion of the first three phases, I will work with district office leaders and school principals to analyze themes and trends from the breadth of data collected. Initial findings will be shared with the School Committee for validation and further input. The theme of this phase will be an iterative process in which the School Committee will provide input and guidance preparing the Malden Public families, supportive environments, ambitious instruction) ● Identification of themes and priorities to inform the district’s budget for the 2026 fiscal year and guide the design of a collaborative strategic planning process for the longer term Phase 5: Charting the Future of the Malden Public Schools March through June 2025 I will work collaboratively with district leaders and principals to develop a refined strategic plan with appropriate progress monitoring and transparent reporting processes. I will then present to the Committee a comprehensive process for its approval to ensure the identified trends are ultimately reflected in the refined strategic plan. If you would like to participate in this process in any way, please let me know by sending a message to superintendent@ maldenps.org. Thank you in advance for your support and I look forward to meeting and working with you soon Timothy Sippel, Ed.L.D. Superintendent of Schools 3. What is your “one thing” that the Malden Public Schools should immediately focus on? 4. What could I do in my first year as Superintendent that would have the most positive impact on students in the district? What would you do if you were me? 5. Who else do I need to hear from and spend time with? Phase 3: Learning in Action August through November 2024 In addition to the data gathered through structured gatherings, I will collect data in action. I will visit buildings throughout the district speaking with staff, students and families. I will interact with the youth observing their learning and understanding their experiences in the Malden Public Schools. Additionally, I will visit with departments and other district/city facilities. The theme of this phase is to observe learning in action and consider these observations Schools to refine and outline a revised strategic plan for the next five years. Through this collaborative process, the district will be poised to chart the course for the future of the Malden Public Schools. Deliverables will include: ● An outline of a process for the development of a “governance plan” for the School Committee and Superintendent ● A listing of meetings with at least 100 people within the first 100 days ● Completion of visits to at least 50% of the district’s classrooms by the end of November and 100% of classrooms by the end of the 2024-2025 school year ● Mid-year report of observations, themes, and priority actions for the 2024-2025 school year ● Reflections on the strength across Malden of the essential ingredients of high performing districts (effective leaders, collaborative teachers, involved

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