Safa Niazi and Michael Chacon also contributed to this article.
Malden High School’s Math Department has gained a well-experienced and highly-praised educator with the addition of Elena Rose, bringing 13 years of valuable experience from Revere High School. Rose has already made a powerful and positive impression on the school’s community.
Principal Chris Mastrangelo noted that hiring top-tier math and science educators is notoriously difficult. However, Rose quickly distinguished herself as an exceptional candidate, as Mastrangelo shared the compelling endorsement that solidified the hire, recalling a conversation with the principal from Rose’s last school: “I called over to the Revere principal, who I know, and he said, ‘Chris, she is my best math teacher.’” Mastrangelo emphasized that this high praise and her proven experience made her a must-hire, stating simply, “she jumped out.”
Rose’s strength is immediately evident in the classroom and shown in her versatility. Lead teacher of the Math Department, Chris Giordano, highlighted her commitment and deep expertise, noting how she’s “really engaging” and “really committed to doing well and supporting her students” on top of being quite “knowledgeable as well.”
While Rose is renowned for her skilled mathematics, her interests outside the classroom reveal a deep appreciation for focus, design, and storytelling.
Rose’s greatest passion is a hobby that requires much planning and execution: weaving. “I started weaving when I was nine years old, and I have been acquiring larger and larger looms throughout my life,” she shared.
Her main piece of equipment is a large 19th-century counterbalance floor loom, which was so substantial that it required converting her dining room into a studio. This love extends to mental challenges as well; she tackles The New York Times crossword almost daily and enjoys logic and number puzzles, such as Sudoku and KenKen.
This passion for language and complexity is rooted in her background. In college, she was a double major in Math and English, and while she never considered teaching literature, she reads constantly.
She recently enjoyed the young adult novel Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, appreciating its theme of “being yourself and finding the people who value you for who you are.” Rose even pondered an alternative career that involved puzzles or working in a bookstore, being “surrounded by books, helping people explore and choose new ones.”
Now settled in the area, Rose is eager to connect with the local community. She’s been “steadily exploring some of the restaurants in Malden Center,” and looks forward to learning more about the students and the community, noting that there is “so much to offer.”
Regarding her future professional goals, her focus is practical and student-centered. “My main goal is to figure out how everything here in Malden works and gain a better understanding of the classes I’m teaching,” she explained. “Once I understand more of those things, I think I will be a better teacher who can better meet the needs of my students.”
Her range of knowledge is a major asset, as she is currently teaching multiple levels of math. Giordano added, “She has three different classes. She has to be familiar with Math 1 and Math 3 and pre-calculus,” displaying how her expertise in different levels of mathematics allows her to serve and support a diverse group of students.
With her extensive background in urban education, and a teaching philosophy centered on deep content knowledge and student commitment, Rose is proving to be an influential force in the Math Department. With her addition, it can be ensured that students will receive high-quality education across various math levels.
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