Appointment of Sarah Fiarman as principal of the Graham & Parks Alternative Public School to be effective July 1, 2009.

Cambridge Public Schools Interim Superintendent Carolyn L. Turk today announced the appointment of Sarah E. Fiarman as principal of the Graham & Parks Alternative Public School to be effective July 1, 2009.

Currently Interim Principal of the M. L. King, Jr. School in Cambridge, Ms. Fiarman is completing her doctorate degree in Administration, Planning, and Social Policy at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and holds an M.Ed. in Elementary Education from Antioch New England Graduate School, and B.A. degree from Stanford University. Ms. Fiarman has extensive experience as a staff developer, consulting teacher, teaching fellow, and researcher at organizations including the Harvard University Graduate School of Education, the Northeast Foundation for Children, and the Ohio Leadership Collaborative. She is a National Board Certified Teacher, and previously taught Grades 3-6 at the Cambridgeport School.

“Sarah Fiarman brings a unique perspective to the principalship, with deep expertise in both pedagogy and content. She has worked nationally with dozens of principals in a myriad of settings, including collaboration with our own principal team as part of the Cambridge Leadership Network under Dr. Richard Elmore. Sarah is highly energetic and passionate about social justice. Her deep understanding of instruction and how to implement professional learning networks will be valuable assets to the Graham & Parks School. I look forward to having Sarah join our educational community in this new role,” said Dr. Turk.

In the forthcoming weeks, Ms. Fiarman will be meeting with members of the Graham & Parks Alternative Public School community and coordinating with retiring Principal Barbara Boyle towards a smooth leadership transition.