Malden School Committee appoints Dr. Timothy Sippel as superintendent after 5–4 vote

The Malden School Committee voted 5–4 on May 16, 2024, to appoint Dr. Timothy Sippel as superintendent of the Malden Public Schools after a special meeting at the Herbert L. Jackson Council Chamber.

Dr. Timothy Sippel, introduced by committee member Ms. Spadafora as the final candidate, gave a brief statement about his career and education and answered committee questions on topics including school safety, communication with stakeholders, special education program effectiveness and budget development. Ms. Spadafora had opened the meeting by noting that one finalist, Robin Desmond, "officially withdrew her application yesterday because she was offered a Superintendent position in another district."

The committee debated whether to decide at the special session or defer because of year-end scheduling and other ongoing searches. Mayor Christenson and several members weighed the trade-offs between selecting a candidate familiar with Malden and hiring from outside the district. Ms. Hortie raised concern that finalist Mr. Teixeira did not have prior experience as a superintendent or assistant superintendent and said such a candidate would need support if selected. Ms. Macklin said the district should consider measurable evaluation goals for any incoming superintendent.

Nominations were made on the floor: Mr. Drummey nominated Mr. Teixeira (seconded by Mr. Gray); Mr. Bernard nominated Dr. Timothy Sippel (seconded by Ms. Spadafora). A roll-call vote followed. Mr. Drummey and Mr. McCarthy voted for Mr. Teixeira; Mayor Christenson and Mr. Gray voted for Mr. Teixeira; Ms. Spadafora, Ms. Macklin, Ms. Hortie, Mr. Bernard and Ms. Rose-Zeiberg voted for Dr. Sippel. The final tally was five votes for Dr. Sippel and four for Mr. Teixeira, resulting in Dr. Sippel's appointment.

On special-education programming, Ms. Spadafora commented that "Special Education can be a challenge due to the complexity of rules, service needs, student and parent concerns," and asked Dr. Sippel how he would assess program effectiveness. Several members asked about steps to increase staff diversity so the workforce better reflects student demographics.

Later in the meeting, Ms. Spadafora moved to enter executive session at 8:10 p.m.; Mr. McCarthy seconded and a roll-call vote to do so passed unanimously. The committee reconvened to open session at about 8:45 p.m., and Mr. Drummey moved to adjourn at 8:46 p.m.; Mr. Bernard seconded and the motion was approved.

The transcript does not specify an effective start date for Dr. Sippel's appointment or additional contract terms.