Dr. Christopher Saheed named principal at CRLS

Superintendent ends nationwide search, Appoints longtime CPS employee to permanent position

December 22, 2006

Superintendent Thomas Fowler-Finn today ended a nationwide search for the next principal of the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School (CRLS) by officially naming Dr. Christopher Saheed to the post.

Dr. Saheed called the appointment "the fulfillment of a professional dream".

"I’m elated," he said. "It is such a joy to be able to take action on the vision you hold for a school, particularly one as vibrant and wonderful as CRLS."   

Dr. Fowler-Finn said Dr. Saheed demonstrated, right from the outset, a rare ability and competence for the job. "To be a successful principal, one must have excellent management skills, he or she must also have the ability to build consensus, and the ability to issue directives when one has to. In a very short amount of time, Dr. Saheed has demonstrated he possesses ample ability in each of these areas."

Dr. Saheed brings 30 years of educational experience to his new role, including 11 years as an English Language Arts teacher, three years as the K-12 Language Arts coordinator, and six years as a dean of curriculum and programs. He has a bachelor’s degree in English from Tufts University, a law degree from Suffolk University Law School, a master’s degree in education administration from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, and an advanced degree from Harvard in administration, planning and social policy.

"Cambridge Rindge and Latin School has witnessed an amazing transformation in recent years," Dr. Fowler-Finn said. "Across the board, student achievement has improved dramatically, college admissions of CRLS graduates is at an all-time high, and yet we feel this school has not yet reached the peak of its capabilities. Dr. Saheed has accepted the challenge of helping CRLS do just that."

Dr. Saheed has been issued a contract through July, 31 2009. He said the cohesive collaboration and support of the CRLS staff has made his transition into the principal’s office a smooth one.  

"The support that I have received from my staff is greatly appreciated," he said.

CRLS is fast becoming one of the premier urban high schools in the area. In September, Boston Magazine named the school one of few public schools to offer the academic and extra curricula programs to rival the best private schools in the region. Significant success on the MCAS by tenth grade students has caught the attention of the Commissioner of Education, as well as the Boston Globe and other national news media. 

"You know, it is difficult to find the right person to lead a high school as dynamic as CRLS and we’re fortunate, after a nationwide search, to have the right person for the job already in our school system."