AMHERST - Parents will have the opportunity to meet the two finalists for the Middle School principal post - one a teaching a fellow at Harvard Graduate School of Education, the other a familiar face from the schools - on Thursday and next Monday evening.

Michael Hayes, interim co-principal at the Middle School, will be interviewing for the job on Thursday, Feb. 28 and meets with parents and community members from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Middle School library.

Glenda Cresto, currently a program site director of the Boston Teacher Residency Program, will be in town on Mon., Mar 3 to meet with parents and community members in the Middle School library from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Hayes has been at the Middle School for more than 10 years, first as an instructional paraprofessional in the Math Research Center and later as a math teacher and math curriculum leader. He is in his second year as interim co-principal with Fran Ziperstein since former principal Mary Cavalier left the post two years ago.

Hayes graduated from the University of California at Santa Cruz with a bachelor's degree in math, has a master's degree from the University of Massachusetts and is certified as a Grade 5-8 math teacher and Grade 5-8 principal/assistant principal.

Cresto is director of a school-based teacher training program at two K-8 schools in Boston. Before that, she was program director at the Richard J. Murphy School, another K-8 Boston school.

She taught English, drama, anthropology, and human development at Quabbin Regional High School for eight years and is a teaching fellow at Harvard University Graduate School of Education.

Cresto graduated from the University of Colorado at Denver, has an MFA from Boston University in theater education and received an Ed.M from Harvard University in teacher leadership. She is licensed to teach K-12 communication and performing arts, K-9 social studies and has her initial licensure to be a principal.

Mary Carey can be reached at mary.carey@att.net.