By EMMA CEPLINSKAS
Come next year, when students return to Malden High School in the fall, they will see a new face in the Jenkins House office. Kevin Kilbride, currently a teacher at MHS, will be taking on the position of house principal.
Kilbride has worked for 15 years at MHS and has taught grades 7 to 12 in the Malden community. “Courses ranged from geography, civics, law, sociology and history,” described Kilbride. He has received a (BA) Bachelor’s degree in History, a (MEd) Master’s degree in Education and a (CAGS) Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in School Administration.
The process of becoming a house principal started with an application that included over 100 applicants. If chosen, the applicant is interviewed by 9 members of the interview committee asking the same questions to 10 candidates. From there, three are selected to be interviewed by Principal Dana Brown. “He had the final decision and [Kilbride is] thankful he chose [him],” expressed the newly chosen assistant principal. It was a few years ago after seeing one of his colleagues make the transition from effective classroom teacher to administration that Kilbride began to think of life outside the classroom.
Before pursuing a career in teaching, Kilbride had found an interest in Criminal Justice, Political Science and History in college. He attended education classes as a concentration to the History Major he had chosen where the classroom experience and the field work influenced his decision to become a teacher. “[He remembers] thinking [he] can make a living, help people and stay young at heart…what a great career,” stated Kilbride.
Thirty years later, “[he is] making a good living and [he hopes he has] helped a few people,” expressed Kilbride. There will be a new teacher to fill Kilbride’s position, as well as the addition of three more new teachers in the Department of Social Sciences next year, informed Kilbride.
Kilbride “[hopes] to continue the work that Principal Brown and his team have done [at MHS] and help in every way [he] can.” His goals include attending many extracurricular activities, building trust with the students and staff, and “maintaining a positive culture of mutual respect mixed in with some humor.”
“[MHS has] a great staff here and [Kilbride has] built many close relationships with the adults in the school,” mentioned Kilbride. He has learned both about himself and the world from working at MHS based on the diverse student body, which he added is his favorite thing about the school.
Retiring house principal, Diane Klibansky, believes Kilbride will be an “excellent choice to replace her” based on his “consistency,” “fairness,” and “his knowledge of the school [which gives] him a huge advantage in the position,” Klibansky stated. She informed that the “biggest challenge of an administrator is to know how to have difficult conversations with all constituents, students, teachers and parents” but his “consistency” and “fairness” will help him to gain respect. As a closing statement, Klibansky advises Kilbride to “work hard but make time to relax and be with family.”
“The first time [he] entered MHS was in September of 1977 and [he] could not have imagined still wanting to be here 37 years later,” expressed Kilbride. He stated that “… [he] had little idea … how important teaching would be to keeping [him] ‘young at heart’” and “would make the same choice again.”
