Keith Bernard (Malden Public Schools, Ward 7, Massachusetts, candidate 2025)

Keith Bernard (Democratic Party) is running or ran for election to Malden Public Schools, Ward 7 in Massachusetts.^[1]

Elections

2025

Ballotpedia survey responses

Keith Bernard completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Bernard's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I’ve been honored to be elected twice to represent my neighbors on the Malden School Committee. In fact, serving on the school committee for the last four years has been one of the best things I’ve done in my life.

I've lived in Malden since 2001, I am a father, a grandfather and a husband. I'm a system administrator by day, as well as an activist and progressive. My family and my community come first, and as Tip O'Neill famously said, all politics are local, and for many they are personal.

In my time on the committee, we have advanced policies such as free universal meals for all our students, a better curriculum that includes all, more support for our teachers and support staff, and making sure we invest our money wisely.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

We need to invest smartly in our children. We have to be intentional as well as efficient in distributing the limited resources we’re given. We should explore other sources of income such as grants, and community partnerships to support the programs our kids need to succeed and propel Malden forward. We need to continually advocate on the municipal, state and national levels for funding – including revamping the Chapter 70 funding which is not adequate to the challenges we face. We also need to be smart – by planning for future challenges while being adaptable to overcome current obstacles.
We need to promote equity. Equity doesn’t mean just supporting the populations that need it most, it means being self-aware enough to see our own biases and to tear down our own assumptions. We can do this in being intentional in hiring diverse teachers that understand our students and the challenges they face. We need to be transparent; including parents, students and the greater Malden community in discussions about how our schools operate. We need to cultivate and nuture not just our kids, but our teachers and staff who deserve our investment.
We are a community, and we need to work together. That means not just listening to our families, but also responding - letting them know they have been heard. It means, not just patching current issues, but having the long view - how decisions made today affect our city tomorrow, a decade from now, and further down the road.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

My job is to make sure that we give everyone an opportunity, the same opportunities I had when I went to public schools, and giving them the same grounding and skills. We do a disservice if we teach by rote: students need to think critically, with empathy and creativity to grow to their best potential.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Empathy, responsibility, and being supportive. I also believe in being humble and understanding that this isn't about me, but whether the decision is good for our students and families, no matter who they are or where they came from.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

We are custodians of our kids future so we need to make sure we are providing an environment for them to thrive. That means advancing policies that give our kids the freedom to achieve to their best possible level. I also have a fiscal responsibility to the residents to spend their money wisely and efficiently.

What is the primary job of a school board member in your view?

We are here specifically to write policy, budget wisely, and to review and support the superintendent.

Who are your constituents?

Primarily the families of Malden's Ward 7, but also the residents of the most diverse population in not just ethnicity but economics as well.

How would you support the diverse needs of your district’s students, faculty, staff, and community?

Communication is key, and since Malden speaks over 60 languages just in the high school alone, it is a challenge. It also means not taking anything for granted and meeting our families where they are at. That means really listening, actively listening and not just giving them the same blah blah blah, but also following up and respecting their time and thoughts. I don't have to agree with them, or them with me, but we need to see each other as we are.

How will you build relationships with members of the broader community? Which groups, organizations, stakeholders will you specifically target?

I am a big believer in going door to door and meeting my voters in person. I make myself available at as many public events as I can, and I have had meetings with teachers, unions, student organizations and other community centers.

What will you do to build a relationship with parents in the district?

The biggest thing is to just return their calls. Most people just want someone who hears them and then I try to do as much as I can to help them, even if it lies outside the responsibilities of the school committee. I work with groups like Malden Overcoming Addiction and our local legislators to get our constituents the services they need.

What are your preferred strategies for faculty, staff, and administration recruitment?

In Massachusetts. school committees only hire three positions - the superintendent, the businsess manager and the athletic director, so there isn't a lot we can advise on. My personal strategy is that I want to know that the person I am hiring is honest, reflective and open to critique, so I'll ask them for an example of a strategy they tried that failed. Just having a story like that on deck shows humility and lets me know their style of communication with faculty, the mayor, the student bodies and the families.

Describe your ideal learning environment for students.

In a perfect world, I'd love to see a space where we had fewer students per classroom, with teachers that are super-engaged. I don't say that to be facetious, because I've seen our Malden teachers and they are devoted. And a lot of them are burning out trying to be everything to everybody. That isn't sustainable. We need to give them more funding, more support in terms of training, mental health and physical health. We would have enough staff so that our kids could take a true 30 minute recess with proper supervision and not have to ask our teachers to pull multiple duties. I'd love to see more needs fulfilled and less DonorsChoose campaigns. I'd also like to see a much more diverse staff and union representation.

What constitutes good teaching? How will you measure this? How will you support advanced teaching approaches?

Again, school committees in Massachusetts aren't supposed to weigh in on employment matters, but I do ask our families who is their favorite teacher, what can we improve and where are the gaps that I can't see. I'm on record for not wanting to cut teacher training to meet a shortfall.

Measurement is tricky so we need to have some sort of standardized testing for data purposes. I know that is not an answer that people want to hear, but we can only make decisions from good data. I don't want teacher performance tied to those tests, but we can use it to guide our decisions. Right now, we have a lot of observers and mentoring, which I think is the right way. Finally, I think having a good trust relationship between the faculty, the administration and the families is critical. Too many times a parent/caregiver and a teacher can't see eye to eye and it takes having a sit down with everyone to work out the issues.

Are there any areas of school curriculum you would like to see changed?

More inclusionary history needs to be taught and I'd like to see our health curriculum to be closer to the language of the Healthy Youth Act.

What strategies or plans would you advance to ensure the schools are properly funded?

Right now, we're looking at Prop. 2 1/2 override. It's not ideal, but I am a big believer in two aphorisms: you get what you pay for, and in the end we all pay one way or another. We do need to look at our state funding because the Chapter 70 funding formula is broken for a small city like ours with no real commercial drivers, but a large population. We also need to have a close examination of all our departments, not just the schools and find where monies are being wasted, unintentionally or not. And I think we need to have a real conversation with the people of this city and ask them, if the rate of inflation is 11% but we only planned on 4% increases annually, what are you willing to do to educate your kids?

What principles drive your policies for safety in schools?

I work in IT, so my philosophy is to give kids as much freedom as we can, and not sacrificing their security. I don't want armed guards walking around, or metal detectors, but its not a teacher's job to break up a fight. We also need to be aware of the challenges we face outside of the schools. We live in Massachusetts which has the most strict gun laws, but that doesn't stop someone from grabbing a child off the street. We want to stop bullying, but that doesn't stop online social media pressure.

How might you support the mental health needs of students/faculty/staff?

Fund it, no reservations, and make sure we have clear policies that allow faculty and students get the help they need without stigma. As a person who has mental illness(depression, ADHD, PTSD and anxiety) I understand it can be very hard for anyone to get the help they need, and that is also why I am public and verbal about my diagnoses. It is good for families and faculty to see someone who isn't afraid to admit they need help and testify as to what works for them.

What existing district policies would you like to change, or what new policies would you like to implement?

We have a lot of amazingly old policies that we've just started updating and we need to continue updating them. With all of the changes in the federal government, I also want to make sure

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I worked as a a newsboy for the Pennysaver Press in Manchester VT. Every Wednesday they would drop off 500 newspapers that I would deliver to 30 people. I worked that job for about a year before my family moved back from Vermont to Massachusetts.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I have a vague recall of one of the Apollo missions. And I met Dukakis during one of his campaigns when I was very young.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I'd just like to be remembered as a nice guy who just tried to do his best and worked hard.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Organization - I'm always playing around with another scheduler, or app, or method. It is a horrendous side-effect of the ADHD and anxiety.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Greater Boston Labor Council

What role should artificial intelligence have in your school district?

We are in the midst of debating this - we need to not be afraid of technology, but also need to understand the risks that these technologies present, in terms of deep fakes and being able to think critically. I also don't want this to be a crutch for teachers, or an excuse for us not to hire teachers and educators.

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