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Cambridge School Committee nominates David Murphy as permanent superintendent
Summary
The Cambridge School Committee nominated interim superintendent David Murphy as the permanent superintendent after members outlined reasons for support and completed a formal roll call; the committee agreed to negotiate contract terms in executive session and said any final contract will be brought back for public vote.
The Cambridge School Committee voted to nominate David Murphy as the district's permanent superintendent after members described his interim tenure as steadying and operationally effective. Member Harding moved to nominate Murphy and Member Rachel seconded the motion; members first announced their individual choices and the chair counted an initial 5–2 split in favor of Murphy before a formal roll-call and a subsequent motion that made the nomination unanimous.
Mayor Simmons framed the decision as the culmination of a yearlong search process that included community surveys, a resume‑screening committee, site visits, and marathon interviews, saying: "Tonight marks the culmination of many months of thoughtful, diligent work by the Cambridge School Committee, our partners and our community as we search for the next superintendent of schools." Several members said Murphy's operational leadership and work to rebuild morale informed their votes. Member Rachel Youssef said the district has "three compelling candidates" but that Murphy had shown "very strong communication skills" and an ability to rebuild trust.
The committee then discussed next steps for the employment contract. The chair said the vice chair would work with the solicitor and a small negotiating group or—if advised—bring the matter to an executive session of the full committee so a contract could be negotiated and later presented for a public vote. The committee recorded the formal motion to select Murphy "conditioned on the ability of the school committee and the candidate to reach a negotiated agreement."
