International Academy Gets New International Baccalaureate Coordinator

The recently hired Sarah Fairman as the new International Baccalaureate coordinator at the for the 2012-13 school year.

Fairman, who previously filled the role at the Norup International School in the  is already fast at work getting acclimated to Bloomfield and preparing for the school year, district spokeswoman Shira Good said.

"Sarah is also incredibly busy making her transition from Berkley," said Good, who joined the district from Berkley last year. "We’re very excited to have her as a member of our team and we’re looking forward to a fantastic school year with her."

Bloomfield Hills students are among those in 17 Oakland County districts that participate in the International Academy, a public, tuition-free high school of choice that is consistently . The International Baccalaureate program aims to help students "develop the intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills to live, learn and work in a rapidly globalizing world," according to the International Baccalaureate Organization.

Fairman had been with the Berkley School District since 1998, when she came aboard as a teacher, said Norup Principal Paul Yowchuang.

"Sarah Fairman is highly regarded in the IB circles. While we lose Sarah's long-term experience with IB, we don't see that as an impact on our program," Yowchuang said via e-mail. "Denise (Tomlinson) has hit the ground running already and is enthusiastic about taking IB at Norup to the next level."