Superintendent Appoints Ligia Noriega-Murphy as First Woman to Lead Boston English School

[Editor's note: Below is a slightly edited version of a press release from the Boston Public Schools.]

BOSTON – Boston Public Schools (BPS) Superintendent Carol R. Johnson today announced the appointment of a new Headmaster for the for the next school year. Ligia Noriega-Murphy currently serves as Assistant Academic Superintendent for High Schools and was formerly Headmaster of Excel High School, a high-performing high school in South Boston. With the appointment, Ms. Noriega-Murphy becomes the first woman leader of the oldest high school in America.

“While English High School is showing promise, it is not yet showing the type of rapid progress our own students deserve and our parents demand,” said Superintendent Johnson. “We know our students and teachers are working hard – and we know we must do even more to support them. Ligia has a proven track record of building great school cultures, strengthening teachers, raising graduation rates, and inspiring students to succeed.”
 
Noriega replaces Dr. Sito Narcisse who is leaving the school after three years to assume a school district leadership position in Maryland.
 
Dr. Johnson has tasked Ligia Noriega with re-evaluating all levels of instruction, operations and the school management structure. Noriega-Murphy will report directly to the Superintendent.
 
“For our students to be successful its vital that I’m able to immediately connect with the teachers and staff at the school to determine how their daily efforts can be best supported,” said Ms. Noriega-Murphy. “I’m committed to helping all the students of English High School reach their full potential and I can’t wait to get started. This will be hard work and we can’t be successful without the involvement of teachers, students, parents and community partners. ”

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) informed BPS that it has not yet approved the plan to access Turnaround School funding for English High School next year.
 
“This underscores the absolute urgency of our efforts to improve the school,” added Dr. Johnson. “It also reminds us that we must constantly reevaluate our strategies and make immediate adjustments whenever necessary.”