Author: William Garrity

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Letter to the Editor: Why Pittsfield Needs Pragmatic, Thoughtful Leaders

Posted on by William Garrity

To the editor: The challenges Pittsfield faces must be dealt with care and an understanding of the nuances, rather than soundbites.

This election, I am supporting Dan Elias and Heather McNeice for Pittsfield School Committee, and Sara Hathaway for city councilor at large.

Having served with Elias during my time on the School Committee, he has shown his ability to understand all sides of an issue and understand the nuances that come with serving on the committee. Having served on the committee for 30 years, he brings great experience of what has worked and not worked for the district as well as much knowledge of the collective bargaining process. While some may say that we need a completely new school committee, having a committee with six new members and a mayor who has only served for two years will cause disruptions and potentially repeat mistakes that the committee has made in years past. Elias will ensure that there is a relatively smooth transition between this committee and the next.

I also believe McNeice would be a great addition to the School Committee. Having had her as a teacher at Taconic, I can say with confidence that she is very passionate for Pittsfield Public Schools. She understands the complexity of the jobs and issues that face the School Committee, such as the issue of cellphones in class and the middle school restructuring project. I believe her strong passion and organizational skills will be a great benefit to this new School Committee, and potentially even as an officer of the committee.

On the City Council, I believe Sara Hathaway would be a great addition. Having served as Pittsfield mayor back in the 2000s and on the School Committee for the past four years, she understands the bigger picture of how both the city and school department function. She wants to build a better relationship between the City Council and the schools, rather than the tense relationship that is present currently. She is solution-oriented, focusing on how we can address the many issues the city faces, understanding the nuances of the issues rather than trying to sound good and play to the camera. She will bring a much-needed collaborative voice to the council.

William Garrity, Pittsfield

Partisanship and School Committee: Our Work is Partisan

Posted on by William Garrity

iBerkshires.com released its candidate profile for all of the candidates running for Pittsfield School Committee, go check it out here.

One of the questions they asked was “What political party are you affiliated with?” The candidates responded as follows:

Batory: “Independent, but I don’t believe political affiliation should play a role in public education. School Committee members are elected to serve all students, families, and staff — regardless of political party. My focus is on transparency, accountability, and making decisions that benefit our children, not partisan interests.”

Muil: “Democrat”

Elias: “Registered independent.”

Yon: “N/A”

Klein: “Unenrolled.”

Beurger: “None.”

McNeice: “I am registered as Independent, but most often lean toward the Democratic party”

Smith: “This is a nonpartisan position.”

Barry: No response to iBerkshires.

While the School Committee, and all elected offices in the City of Pittsfield, are in fact non-partisan, that does not mean our work is non-partisan.

The job of the School Committee is to serve our students, to support them and protect them. While we may disagree on how this School Committee has done that, I think we can all agree that this is the purpose of the Committee. Unfortunately, in this day and age, protecting students and even people now falls into partisan categories.

When you have a federal government who is attacking public education, defunding offices in the Department of Education meant to protect special education students and other minority groups, when you have a federal government that is going after LGBTQ+ students, primarily our trans and non-binary students, when you have a federal government who is forcefully going after immigrant families, making them live in fear of being removed from this country, our work to protect students becomes partisan.

When you have conservative groups, such as Moms for Liberty, who support conservative school board candidates to run for office who run on banning LGBTQ+ books, rights for LGBTQ+ students, and teaching of subjects around diversity, equity, and inclusion, our work and our advocacy becomes partisan.

The School Committee got involved in partisan politics when we voted unanimously to adopt my resolution affirming our support for our LGBTQ+ students and declare “that the Pittsfield School Committee declares the Pittsfield Public Schools to be a safe space for all students, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation, and a safe space for students to explore their gender identity and/or sexual orientation”, because one party has decided that stripping rights away from these students is their stance and what they will continue to push. We took a stand because we believe we have a duty to support and protect our students.

It’s not enough for us education leaders to bury our heads in the sand and say “we are staying out of partisan politics” when our student’s rights and their wellbeing are on the line. I hope that all candidates start to understand this, and voters understand it when they go to the polls next week. I also hope the new School Committee will understand this, and continue to support our students even if that means getting involved in partisan politics.

No, There is No State Law Saying the Mayor Should Be Chair of the Pittsfield School Committee

Posted on by William Garrity

Since my letter to the editor regarding the Council’s actions regarding making the Mayor Chair of the Pittsfield School Committee, an argument has been swirling around that there is a state law that says the mayor should be chair of the school committee, which Pittsfield is not following.

More specifically, the law being mentioned is Massachusetts General Law Chapter 43 Section 31. In fact, the law does state “The school committee shall consist of the mayor, who shall be the chairman, and six members elected at large.” On a first reading, it does sound like the Mayor, by law should be chair. Pittsfield has a six member school committee, elected at large, with the Mayor also being there as well, so under this law they should be chair, right?

However, context is important here. Chapter 43 primarily deals with a certain type of City Charters know as “plan charters”. They consist of Plan A through Plan F which have different structures of government. Cities can adopt these plan charters through a process outlined in that chapter, where they basically follow the provisions in Chapter 43. Cambridge is one such city, where their charter is basically excerpts from MGL.

While Pittsfield has a structure of government that aligns with what a Plan B Charter would look like, which as MGL states is “a city government and legislative body composed of a mayor and city council, the councillors being elected partly at large and partly from districts or wards of the city”, and Pittsfield is commonly referred to as a Plan B form of government, Pittsfield does not have a Plan B charter. Instead, we have a special act charter, approved by Chapter 72 of the Acts of 2013.

A special act charter allows to have a different form of government than what is outlined in MGL, such as having a separate chair of a school committee, or have differently sized school committee and city council. It allows for a structure of government that serves what Pittsfield thinks is best, not what the state thinks its best. This is best shown by the fact that Pittsfield’s charter is not just excerpts of MGL.

And if it were the case that Pittsfield had to comply with the provisions in Chapter 43 (which we do not have to), then there would be other issues than just having a non-mayor chair of the School Committee:

  • The City Clerk would not be elected, instead appointed for a 3 year term by the City Council (Section 18)
  • School Committee members would have 4 year staggered terms (Section 31)
  • The City Council would have to vote to appoint a Council President every year, not every two years currently (Section 59)
  • If there was a vacancy in a ward councilor seat, that vacancy would have to be filled by a special election, which is not the case in Pittsfield (Section 59A)

Unless Pittsfield wants to adopt a straight Plan B charter (which most cities are moving away from anyways), then we do not have to follow the provisions of Chapter 43.

Letters to the Editor Regarding Making Mayor the Chair of the Pittsfield School Committee

Posted on by William Garrity

Last week I submitted a Letter to the Editor regarding the City Council Proposal to amend the City Charter to make the Mayor automatically chair of the Pittsfield School Committee. Another Letter to the Editor written by Councilor at Large Earl Persip appeared in the paper earlier this week. Both letters can be viewed below.

Be on the lookout for another blog post detailing more about this proposal, and my questions/concerns about everything going on.

Letter: Pittsfield city charter changes should go before voters

Aug 22, 2025

To the editor: Before I spoke at the last City Council meeting against the proposed amendment to the city charter making the mayor chair of the Pittsfield School Committee, Councilor Kenneth Warren made a comment to me that there was not much of a point in speaking against the proposal as it would be going to the voters. (“Longer terms for city councilors and School Committee members could be on the November ballot, pending state approval,” Eagle, Aug. 15.)

Undeterred, I still decided to speak out against it.

Later on during the meeting, I became confused and then appalled when Councilor Warren made an amendment so that this change would not go to the voters. Why the sudden shift between before I spoke during public comment and the discussion on the amendment?

In a now deleted Facebook comment thread, another city councilor stated that this amendment doesn’t need to go to the voters as he believes the council knows what is best for the city, and that this would address what the council sees as issues with working with the School Committee.

I strongly disagree with this sentiment. The voters of this city voted back in 2013 to adopt the current version of the charter, and they should be the ones who decide what parts get changed and which parts remain. This is the voter’s charter, not the City Council’s to play around with.

The law even agrees. The statute the council is using to make this amendment says: “Whenever an order proposing a charter amendment to the voters is approved by the mayor and city council … a copy of the proposed amendment shall be immediately submitted to the attorney general…” So then, why does the City Council believe it has a mandate, let alone the authority, to make changes to the city charter without voter approval?

While I believe this proposal is misguided and very problematic, if the voters want to make the mayor chair of the Pittsfield School Committee, then they can vote to support the amendment at the ballot box. Not letting the voters decide on such an important matter would be a disservice to the city’s voters.

The more I hear about the council’s rationale for not sending this amendment to the voters, the more I fear that this is a hostile power grab by city leaders to micromanage the school department budget and its operations, potentially leading to devastating budget cuts. This power grab can and should be stopped at the ballot box.

William Garrity, Pittsfield
The writer is a Pittsfield School Committee member.

Letter: A response to letter-writer’s concern on charter change proposal

Aug 26, 2025

To the editor: The Aug. 22 letter “Pittsfield city charter changes should go before voters” misrepresented both the process and the purpose of the proposed charter amendment.

This is not a power grab. It is about accountability. The mayor is already responsible for presenting and balancing the city’s overall budget, which includes the schools. Having the mayor serve as chair of the School Committee aligns that responsibility with clear leadership. Several Massachusetts cities already follow this structure.

The City Council is acting fully within its legal authority. Massachusetts law allows charter changes either through a commission process that goes to the ballot or through a council-approved petition sent to the Legislature. Both are legitimate. We are using the process the law provides.

Voters are not being cut out. Any charter change must go to the Legislature and then back to the city for acceptance. There are multiple levels of oversight built in.

What cannot be ignored is the past year. The Pittsfield High School investigation exposed a clear lack of accountability from the School Committee when serious problems surfaced. Parents, students and taxpayers expected openness. Instead, they saw delays, secrecy and excuses. The state itself ordered portions of the report released after ruling the district failed to justify withholding it. That is not what voters expect from their elected representatives.

This proposal to make the mayor the School Committee chair responds to those concerns. Transparency, collaboration and financial oversight have been missing. When the School Committee is not aligned with city government, it creates confusion and mistrust. Giving the mayor a defined role as chair creates accountability at the top, which benefits students, teachers and taxpayers.

The council is doing its job: debating policy, weighing options and making decisions in the best interest of the city.

Earl G. Persip III, Pittsfield
The writer is an at-large councilor and vice president of the Pittsfield City Council.

Upcoming Pittsfield City Council Meeting March 26th with Important Educational Items

Posted on by William Garrity

The Pittsfield City Council will have a meeting Tuesday, March 26th at 6pm at City Hall in City Council Chambers. (Agenda)

Anyone interested in speaking during the public comment period must sign up with their name and address before 6pm at the podium. There is a 3 minute time limit for public comment per person.

The following educational items will be on the agenda:

14. A communication from Mayor Marchetti submitting a resolution to seek a full inflation adjustment of Chapter 70 school aid for the fiscal year 2025 (the School Committee approved the same resolution at our last meeting)

18. A communication from Superintendent Curtis requesting the City Council to authorize the Superintendent to submit a Statement of Interest to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (the School Committee voted to authorize the Superintendent to submit a Statement of Interest at our last regular meeting).

19. A communication from Superintendent Curtis on petitions from Councilor Amuso and Wrinn requesting an organizational chart that defines the number of positions in each department, the number of classrooms, and the projected number of students for the 2024-2025 school year

Items automatically referred under Council Rule 27 unless a member objects to the referral

Upcoming Pittsfield School Committee Budget Workshop March 27th, 2024

Posted on by William Garrity

The School Committee Budget Workshop is being split into two parts: a regular meeting that will be picked up by PCTV and a workshop with small group discussions that will not be picked up by PCTV.

Upcoming Regular Meeting

Click here to view the agenda for the special meeting

Click here to view the packet information

The Pittsfield School Committee will have a meeting on Wednesday, March 27th at 5:30pm in the Reid Middle School Library (950 North Street). The meeting will be covered by PCTV.

Any member of the public may wish to speak during our public comment period. Public comment is limited to 3 minutes per person and the public comment period is limited to 15 minutes unless the school committee votes to extend the public comment period. Anyone wishing to speak during the public comment period may be required to sign up before the meeting starts.

Agenda Highlights

  • Approval of Student Opportunity Act Plan
  • FY25 Budget Presentation
  • FY25 Line Item Budget

Upcoming Budget Workshop

Click here to view the agenda for the budget workshop

Click here to view the packet information

The Pittsfield School Committee will have its second budget workshop on Wednesday, March 27th following the regular meeting in the Reid Middle School Library (950 North Street). The meeting will not be covered by PCTV.

There will be no participation by the public for this portion of the meeting, and the only agenda item is the budget workshop small group discussions.

March 20th Pittsfield School Committee Special Meeting Recap

Posted on by William Garrity

Click here to view the March 20h meeting packet

Click here to view the March 20th meeting recording

Click here to view the March 20th budget hearing recording

Approval of Memoranda of Agreement Between the Pittsfield School Committee and the Pittsfield Educational Administrators’ Association (documents coming soon) – The School Committee approved the memoranda with the Pittsfield Educational Administrators Association (PEAA) to address compensation for certain individuals that had extra work commitments due to the absences of staff they had to cover for.

Approval of Settlement Agreement Between the Pittsfield School Committee and the United Educators of Pittsfield – The School Committee approved a settlement agreement with the United Educators of Pittsfield (UEP teachers union) to update some language in the contract regarding the sick leave bank and compensation for teachers in substantially separate classrooms.

Approval of Memorandum of Agreement Between the Pittsfield School Committee and the Pittsfield Federation of School Employees, Bus Drivers’ & Attendants’ Unit – The School Committee approved an agreement with the Pittsfield Federal of School Employees Bus Drivers and Attendants Unit which raises the rates at which bus drivers and bus monitors are paid to hopefully attract more drivers, as well as include rates for 7D drivers (used for special education transportation) so the district can hire 7D drivers instead of relying on contractors to reduce costs.

Approval of a resolution received from the Haverhill School Committee to seek changes in the calculation of the inflation factor used in determining Chapter 70 funding for FY 2025 and thereafter – The School Committee approved this resolution.

March 13th School Committee Recap: The Budget Presentation

Posted on by William Garrity

I am splitting the recap from our March 13th Meeting into two parts, one just on the budget presentation and one on everything else during the meeting.

Budget Presentation

Superintendent Curtis and Assistant Superintendent for Business and Finance Behnke presented the administration’s FY25 budget proposal.

Continue reading “March 13th School Committee Recap: The Budget Presentation”

Upcoming School Committee Meeting March 13th, 2023

Posted on by William Garrity

Click here to view the agenda for the regular meeting

Click here to view the packet information

The Pittsfield School Committee will have a meeting on Wednesday, March 13th at 6pm in City Hall Council Chambers (70 Allen St). The meeting will also be broadcasted on PCTV Channel 1302, PCTV’s Facebook page, and PCTV Select.

Any member of the public may wish to speak during our public comment period. Public comment is limited to 3 minutes per person and the public comment period is limited to 15 minutes unless the school committee votes to extend the public comment period. Anyone wishing to speak during the public comment period may be required to sign up before the meeting starts.

Continue reading “Upcoming School Committee Meeting March 13th, 2023”