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Superintendent finalist Paul Teixeira outlines priorities on safety, special education and staff diversity
Summary
Paul Teixeira, a finalist for Malden superintendent, summarized his career and answered committee questions May 13 on school safety, stakeholder communication, special education assessment, staff diversity and budgeting. He requested a retreat to clarify roles with the School Committee; no hiring decision was made.
Paul Teixeira, a finalist for superintendent of Malden Public Schools, gave an opening statement and spent more than an hour responding to the School Committee’s questions at a May 13 special session in the Herbert L. Jackson Council Chamber.
Teixeira described his career and educational background and addressed a broad slate of issues committee members raised, including school safety protocols, strategies for communicating with students and families, criteria for assessing special education programs, and efforts to recruit a more diverse teaching staff. Mayor Christenson asked what brought Teixeira back to Malden and what he could offer the district; Teixeira emphasized his prior experience and the strengths he would bring to the superintendent role.
Committee members pressed on practical matters. Mr. McCarthy asked Teixeira to describe a specific instance when he implemented school safety measures; Teixeira outlined his prior involvement in safety planning and implementation. Ms. Spadafora asked what criteria he would use to evaluate special education programs; Teixeira identified program effectiveness indicators and student outcome measures he would prioritize. Ms. Macklin, who chairs the Superintendent Evaluation committee, asked for measurable goals the committee should consider; committee members later suggested examples including fewer grievances, higher attendance and student achievement gains.
Members also probed governance and labor relations. Mr. Bernard asked for examples of resolving blurred authority between committees and administration; Mr. Drummey asked about Teixeira’s role in collective bargaining and contract negotiations. On staffing, Ms. Macklin asked how the district could increase representation among educators to better reflect student demographics; Teixeira described recruitment strategies and outreach to diverse candidate pools.
Toward the close of his interview, Teixeira asked the committee about its role in collective bargaining and proposed a retreat to establish working relationships with the superintendent’s office. He gave a brief closing statement; Mayor Christenson then called a recess at 7:08 p.m. No vote or selection of a superintendent was taken at the meeting.
The committee listed next steps and scheduled additional interviews and deliberations; a follow-up session was announced for May 16, 2024.
