Two new principals set to join Cambridge Public Schools

PUBLISHED by The Cambridge Chronicle

Cambridge —Two new principals will officially start their jobs in Cambridge Public Schools this summer.

Gerald Yung, who will be the new principal for the MLK School, and Sarah Fiarman, the current interim principal at the Graham and Parks Alternative School, were hired this month because they bring complementary strengths to the district, said Superintendent Carolyn Turk.


Graham and Park principal Barbara Boyle is retiring after 30 years, said Justin Martin, Cambridge Public School spokesman. Carole Learned-Miller, principal of the MLK School, went on maternity leave in November and decided to become a stay-at-home mother, Martin said.

Yung, who is half-Chinese and lived in Cambridge as a teenager, is currently the principal for the Seven Hills Public Charter School in Worcester. He said the MLK School impressed him with its Chinese language program, extended hours and passionate community.

“Cambridge is my second home. I love the diversity,” said Yung. “When I looked at the King School, I saw the diverse population.”

Yung wants to return to Cambridge, where his father still lives, to raise his one month-old son. He said he hopes to work with the city’s museums and universities to build a strong academic background and define everything the school has to offer.

Fiarman taught grades three through six at Cambridge during the 1990s. Turk said Fiarman worked with Harvard University and Cambridge Public Schools to establish instructional rounds, a program used to facilitate reflection amongst teachers and principals about their work.

“She has this high energy and passion about school that is infectious,” Turk said. “It’s good to mix it up a bit and be able to bring things in you have learned from other places.”

Fiarman, a National Board-certified teacher, has done extensive research and contributed to several books on education. She is an advanced doctoral student at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a recipient of the Cambridge Peace and Justice Award in 2000.

Fiarman also has a master’s degree in elementary education from Antioch New England Graduate School and a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University. She is also a master teacher with the Massachusetts Department of Education.

“What I’m trying to do is … we want people who will complement each other and match up with the different schools and bring different strengths,” said Turk.

Yung graduated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education School Leadership Program, and he also has a master’s degree from Lesley University and a bachelor’s degree from Emory University in Atlanta. He said his experiences volunteering at an Atlanta middle school prompted him to enter the education field.

“Working with kids, being able to build relationships and help kids set high goals and try to achieve their dreams—that really appealed to me,” he said.