Neighborhood View, with input from local organizations, sent questions to the three candidates hoping to succeed Jason Lewis as Malden’s state senator in the Fifth Middlesex district. Before the Sept. 1 election, we will publish each candidate’s answers, one question at a time, presented in rotating order by last name. Biographies submitted by the candidates and links to all of the answers appear at the bottom of each article.
As school districts consider investing in AI systems and tools with embedded AI, would you support requiring independent research of how these products affect students, especially students from historically marginalized communities, before they are approved for use? What is your overall view of the role of AI in K-12 education?
– Submitted by Reconnect Malden
Ryan O’Malley
I approach this topic from two perspectives: 1. student privacy and 2. student outcomes. When it comes to student privacy, I believe AI (and all other data-collection) raises serious concerns that can impact students for life. The “permanent record” of old, is no longer a myth in education and beyond. AI and other sources that feed internet connected (“cloud”) databases should be strictly opt-in rather than requiring a complicated and often an impossible opt-out procedure.
As for student outcomes, I am grateful to be endorsed by the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) and believe that teachers, students, and parents must be proactively engaged in the important topic of AI prior to decisions being made by school administrators. In order for an informed decision to be made, all stakeholders need access to reliable and trustworthy information about the impacts that generative AI has on student outcomes. The threat faced (in addition to privacy above) is that over-reliance on technology often results in diminished capacity to complete the basics in an un-aided environment (eg spell check, calculators, remembering phone numbers). In the current environment, AI is in almost all internet usage from search engines to email clients. It is hard to avoid the rollout of AI. As such, I believe AI literacy is important, so that students (and adults) can better understand when they might be interacting with AI and what personal guardrails and best practices should be employed.
In summary, we need more data privacy protections generally but especially for children and students. And state and district wide discussions need to teachers, students, and parents prior to the rollout of AI integration in schools. AI literacy should be the priority to ensure students are aware of when they are interacting with AI.
Kate Lipper-Garabedian
Yes. Before any AI system is approved for use in our schools, I support requiring independent research into how it affects students, including its impact on students from historically marginalized communities who are too often an afterthought in tech development. Districts shouldn’t be the testing ground for unproven tools.
As a former teacher, a mom of two school-aged children, and House Chair of the legislative Emerging Technology Caucus, I appreciate that artificial intelligence will shape the future economy, and our students must understand how to use it responsibly. However, AI should never replace critical thinking, creativity, or meaningful learning. As the author and champion of the Student and Educator Data Privacy Act, I’m further mindful that our students and educators are not for sale and that our state laws must ensure that their data remains private and within their control. We must establish thoughtful safeguards, support educators, and teach students to use these tools ethically, to ensure technology enhances education without undermining the skills and development our children need to succeed.
Carey McDonald
As the parent of two Malden Public Schools students, we absolutely should be requiring independent review of AI tools before they are used on our kids. Our high-needs students should not be the guinea pigs for this technology. We need to be extremely cautious about AI use with our kids, since the technology is evolving quicker than we can understand it.
Overall, I think we have become way too reliant on technology especially for our younger grades, accelerated by the need to use Chromebooks during the pandemic. Five years later, with many devices now needing to be replaced, it’s an opportunity to reconsider when and why technology is used. Our kids need technological literacy as they get older, including critical thinking, independent research, and how to use data and avoid misinformation. But far too often screen use is a default option in our classrooms. Technology should never be replacing the essential interaction between students and teachers.
Biographies submitted by the candidates
Ryan O’Malley
Ryan is the product of Malden Public Schools (K-12). He is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and Boston College Law School. He is a former Park Ranger in the Middlesex Fells and Breakheart Reservation. He currently works as an affordable housing attorney. He likes trees.
Campaign website: Ryan O’Malley for State Senate
Kate Lipper-Garabedian
Kate Lipper-Garabedian serves as State Representative for the 32nd Middlesex District and chairs the House Committee on Ethics. Since her election in 2020, she has led on legislation including nursing home and assisted living reforms, tax relief for renters, campaign funds for childcare expenses, and technology and data privacy protections and has been a vocal advocate for increased early education and childcare funding and universal K-12 school meals. A former seventh-grade public school teacher and education attorney, Kate served as Chief Legal Counsel to the Massachusetts Secretary of Education after graduating from Harvard Law School and clerking on the First Circuit, U.S. Court of Appeals. In a legislature of 200 Representatives and Senators, she is one of only 11 members who are mothers raising children at the same time they serve. Kate has secured more than $5.25 million in earmarks for her District in the last two fiscal years alone. Kate lives in Melrose and is the proud mother of two school-aged boys.
Campaign website: Kate Lipper-Garabedian for State Senate
Carey McDonald
As a working parent, a nonprofit executive, and a three-term Malden city councillor at large, I understand our challenges and I’m committed to getting things done. I bring my professional experience as an executive of a national nonprofit in budgeting, management, policy, and governance, strategic planning, crisis response and legal issues. I have a BA in Economics from Pomona College, and a MS in Organizational (Nonprofit) Leadership from Wheelock College.
My spouse Sarah and I moved to Malden to raise our kids, and are proud parents of two Malden Public Schools students. I first ran for office in 2021 because I wanted to invest in building a better future for them. I’ve been very proud to make progress on funding our library and schools, advancing climate action and environmental justice, lowering utility bills, investing in basic infrastructure like removing lead pipes and paving roads, making our sidewalks safer, and advancing racial equity and language access.
I’ve worked hard to build relationships across our community and beyond. These relationships are the foundation of my campaign, because they are the people I am fighting for. I’m very proud to be endorsed by unions representing teachers, firefighters, human services workers and grocery store employees, environmental and progressive groups like Clean Water Action, Mystic Valley Progressives and the Working Families Party, and Malden Mayor Gary Christenson.
In our spare time (!) our family likes to travel and go camping. We enjoy music, concerts and dance parties together. During the winter, I volunteer with the Malden Warming Center.
My family traces its roots back to the founding of communities on the North Shore, including Malden and Winchester. My commitment is to work across the 5th Middlesex District to create communities where everyone can thrive.
Campaign website: Carey McDonald for State Senate
Learn how to take part in the election
The Malden City Clerk’s office provides 2026 Election Information about polling places, how to vote, early voting, and more.
Watch the Malden candidate forums
- Malden Safe Streets forum, July 20, 2026
- Malden Candidate Forum Tech and AI Presented by Reconnect Malden & Schools Beyond Screens, July 22, 2026
- Greater Malden Asian American Community Coalition Forum, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026
- Online Candidate Forum hosted by Chinese Culture Connection, Aug. 19, via Zoom
at Malden Safe Streets candidate forum, hosted by Bay State Cohousing, July 21, 2026. (Photo: MSS)
Maldonians ask, candidates answer
- Professional experience
- Transportation equity, submitted by Malden Safe Streets
- AI in schools, submitted by Reconnect Malden
- Housing costs, submitted by a new community group, via Malden Safe Streets
- Structural budget issues for cities and towns
- Economic development
- Climate resilience action and advocacy
- Auditing the Legislature
- Closing statement
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