MALDEN — First-year Malden Public Schools Superintendent John Oteri has met and interacted with hundreds of parents and staff members, all over the city, since he took the reins as head of the school system last June.
This time around, at his first “Meet the Superintendent” night, at the Malden High School library, it was more intimate setting as about 30 people shared ideas and opinions on many workings of the Malden Public Schools.
For Oteri, the night was highly positive and for a major reason. “Most of the issues and concerns raised by parents and others in attendance, especially those that would require action through my office, we were already working on,” Oteri said.
“It was a great forum. Our parents received an opportunity to express their concerns and also to give credit to a lot of the positives in the Malden Public Schools. We were especially pleased to hear a lot of praise for the teachers in our district who are educating their children.”
Oteri opened the evening saying: “I am honored to be Superintendent of the Malden Public Schools. I was raised in Malden and I am a Malden High School graduate. This is my dream job.” Oteri explained he started his professional career as a social worker and then entered the education field, having spent the last 10 years as an administrator, the past five as Somerville High School principal. He was named Superintendent by the Malden School Committee last June.
Oteri noted that during his tenure at Somerville High School, the statewide rating improved from Level 3 to Level 1. “That is something I am very proud to have been a part of in that community and the goal here is the same: make our district the best in state.”
Malden Public Schools are now rated Level 2 for academic achievement. Oteri said the immediate goal is to improve to Level 1. “We’ve already made progress in the way Malden schools go about out business. We are working to create style that is collaborative and transparent.
“These students are all of our kids. There are a lot of measurements of their academic status and achievements. We can and we will show progress. We in the schools have to think of ourselves as customer service providers. We have to accelerate learning and we have to address the basic needs of our students. No student learns to his or her potential if they are in fear, are hungry, or do not feel safe.
“We must take care of those basic needs first.”
Oteri used a whiteboard to list two categories about the Malden Public Schools as offered by those in attendance: “What is Good” and “Challenges.” As the evening went on, some of items that were placed in the “What is Good” category included staff, demeanor/caring of staff; special education operations; the atmosphere of inclusion in the very diverse Malden schools; and the way that Malden High School and Malden school administrators in general fight for programs and students’ needs.
“Challenges” included a perceived lack of diversity in staff members; the school calendar; inequalities in various areas among schools. Oteri said he was pleased to hear opinions on both sides and noted the challenges were mostly all being worked on already.
“This has been an excellent night and we are glad to hear from everyone,” Oteri said. He added he would be holding other similar meetings as the school year went on and at other locations in the schools.
