McCarthy Touts Experience, Local Roots in Superintendent Interview

The School Committee started its Superintendent finalist interviews on Friday, when they spent two hours talking with Robert McCarthy.

McCarthy was the only internal candidate put forward as a finalist. Internal candidates could be put forward without going through the regular screening process. That was a hotly contested matter during the formation of the Search Committee.

McCarthy currently serves as a counselor at the Beebe School. Before that, he spent 24 years as the director of career development, business and entrepreneurship.

During his interview, McCarthy stressed that his 25-plus years working in Malden gave him a unique perspective into the Superintendent’s position.

“I grew up in Malden. I know the pulse of this city,” he said. “I feel I can hit the ground running in the position.”

Team Building

McCarthy said building and maintaining a strong team of teachers and administrators requires face-to-face meetings.

“Resumes and transcripts only tell you so much,” he said.

McCarthy said the climate in the department has to be one where people feel free to express ideas.

“In order to make that effective, you’ve got to make people feel comfortable to disagree,” he said.

Keeping parents informed is also a key component to creating a collaborative atmosphere, according to McCarthy.

“When parents have a question, you have to listen and reassure them that we’ll look at the issue,” he said. “You have got to make sure you get the correct facts and everyone works off that set of facts.”

Working with the School Committee

The superintendent’s relationship with the School Committee is based on hard data and information sharing, according to McCarthy.

“The data’s got to be there,” said McCarthy. “A comprehensive decision makes for a better decision.”

In terms of budgeting, McCarthy supports zero-based budgeting, where departments and line items must be justified each year, rather than relaying on the previous year’s budget as a starting point.

“Just because something’s in the budget this year doesn’t mean it has to be in the budget next year,” he said.

 He also noted his work in collective bargaining negotiations in the past, saying he understood how Malden approached union negotiations.

Diversity

“Malden’s diversity is Malden’s richness,” said McCarthy.

The key to teaching a diverse student body is the same as teaching any group of students. Teaching reading and writing skills early on prepares students to learn theories and content later on.

“Once [students] hit the fourth grade, the academics become more content based and literary based, so they’re ready to learn,” said McCarthy. “You have got to look at interventions that are data-based and targeted."

New Ideas and Initiatives

McCarthy suggested a number of areas Malden’s schools could change to improve the district. Leveraging the knowledge of the current faculty and teaching the kids in Malden could reduce out-of-district placements for special education students, McCarthy said. In fact, the system could accept students from other cities and towns, creating a revenue base where there once was a cost center.

McCarthy also proposed using technology more as a way to reduce costs and engage students, who he said are now digital learners. One idea he proposed would have the system provide students with iPads rather than spend the thousands of dollars needed to give students news books each year.