CPS Interim Superintendent David Murphy Receives Positive End-of-Year Evaluation

The Cambridge School Committee delivered a positive end-of-year evaluation of interim superintendent David G. Murphy on Tuesday, rating his overall performance as “proficient with some areas of exemplary progress.”

Murphy, who was previously chief operations officer of Cambridge Public Schools, was appointed interim superintendent in July after his predecessor, Victoria L. Greer, resigned weeks after the School Committee voted to terminate her contract early.

Committee member Richard Harding Jr. said that Murphy “hit the ground running,” despite taking the position during a time of uncertainty.

“Not only did Mr. Murphy hit the ground running, but he hit the ground to me with a real serious understanding that in order to make the School Committee and him work well together, we had to start at a place of honesty and have open communication that I think was lacking from the last administration,” Harding said.

The committee is currently engaged in the search for the next permanent superintendent, aiming to confirm their choice before the November committee elections. Several committee members commended Murphy’s willingness to confront pressing issues in the district head-on and ability to create change despite being in a temporary position.

“It’s challenging, I think, to step in as an interim, and I would say that Mr. Murphy rose to that challenge,” committee member David J. Weinstein said. “He, as I see it, did not kick the can down the road on other needs that somebody in an interim role could make an argument they would do.”

“In a single year, he’s laid the groundwork that others might take years to achieve,” committee member Elizabeth C.P. Hudson said. “We will be fortunate to continue building on the momentum that he has created.”

School Committee vice chair Caroline Hunter said Murphy showed proactive leadership by asking for the closure of Kennedy-Longfellow — a school that faced persistent under enrollment and underperformance. Murphy recommended the closure in December, which the School Committee approved in a unanimous vote soon after.

“Just merely suggesting that was almost a gasp for the community, because Cambridge has kicked the can down the road for a lot of significant initiatives that impact our communities, often the most marginalized or the underserved,” Hunter said.

Hudson said that Murphy “did not shy away from the most difficult decisions, including the painful but necessary closure of one of our schools, navigating each with transparency, strategic foresight and respect for all stakeholders.”

The committee’s written evaluation, adopted at the meeting, highlighted other specific areas of strength, including improved communication and public engagement, a focus on teacher evaluations, the implementation of universal preschool, and effective navigation of changes to the math curriculum.

Murphy said that while he was “incredibly appreciative” of the feedback from the committee, he is “directly responsible for probably much less of what you have cited here this evening.”

“When the superintendency is done right, there’s a lot of people doing the — what I would describe as the actual work,” Murphy said.

“It’s humbling and a little embarrassing to be having my name placed on their work. But I hope that they understand that I am very much cognizant of their contributions that they have made,” he added.

—Staff writer Ayaan Ahmad can be reached at ayaan.ahmad@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @AyaanAhmad2024.