Malden candidates emphasize safe, welcoming schools and protections for immigrant and special‑needs students

Candidates at the Malden youth-led forum described school safety as encompassing physical security, emotional support and clear policy for students affected by immigration enforcement and disability-related needs.

Dawn Macklin, incumbent Malden School Committee member for Ward 4, said her family experience shaped her focus on special education: "I have a grandson. My eldest grandson is on the autism spectrum. In addition to that, he has ADHD. He suffers from Tourette's. And so just going through that process, that SPED process and, you know, the 504 and the IEP and navigating that, was challenging." Macklin said that difficulty for her — a strong and vocal advocate — suggested other caretakers faced similar hurdles and that she ran to ensure "all of the kids have what they need to thrive."

Keith Bernard, incumbent for Ward 7, said the committee already has a resolution that restricts Immigration and Customs Enforcement from school property and described outreach to state representatives: "There's a whole procedure that they have to go and follow. Managing the budget and honestly, there's not a lot that I can go on and I can do in my position as a school committee person other than stand up, speak out, say this is not right, and leverage that to go and actually go and talk to our state reps." Bernard specifically mentioned talking to Rep. Catherine Clark's office about state-level responses.

Mike Grummy, incumbent for Ward 1, referenced the district's existing policies for keeping ICE out of school buildings: "They're not allowed in the building at all. So it shouldn't be that way. I mean, you you you're coming to school. You're coming to learn." Grummy and other candidates also noted that special-education accommodations can be written into an IEP and that students with IEPs are permitted necessary supports, including device access when specified.

Candidates tied the concept of a welcoming environment to bullying prevention, food and dignity in school facilities and language access for Malden's multilingual student population. Several speakers said that schools should validate student fears and provide emotional supports in addition to physical safety measures.

No formal policy changes were proposed or voted on at the forum; candidates described existing district policies, referred to a prior school committee resolution about ICE on school property and urged continued advocacy with state representatives and district administrators.