Tag: Education

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.

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.

Click here to view the agenda for this meeting

Click here to view the PCTV meeting recording

Berkshire Eagle and iBerkshires were both present at this meeting. PCTV recorded the whole tour and I would highly recommend watching their recording.

Click here to view the agenda for the meeting

Click here to view the packet information

The Pittsfield School Committee will have a meeting on Wednesday, February 14th 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.

Agenda Highlights

Acceptance of Donation for Taconic’s Auto Technology Program – Toyota Motors North America, Inc. is looking to donate a 2023 2023 Toyota GR86 with an estimated value of $25,723 for Taconic’s Auto Technology Program. School Committee policy requires the committee to accept any donation of $5,000 or more to the Pittsfield Public Schools.

Report on Education Spending Outside of School Committee Budget and
Governor’s Budget Update

Discussion of Submittal of an SOI with the MSBA Regarding Crosby Elementary
School and the Submittal’s Role in the Restructuring Planning – The district is looking at a potential new building project on the Crosby site as a part of its restructuring project. In order to get state funding for the project, the Superintendent must submit a Statement of Interest (SOI) to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) by Friday, April 12th. The School Committee and the City Council must vote to authorize the Superintendent to submit the SOI. More information will be discussed at the meeting.

Executive Session – There will be an executive session to discuss negotiations with the United Educators of Pittsfield (teachers union), the Pittsfield Educational Administrator’s Association (educational administrators union), and the Pittsfield Federation of School Employees/AFT, Local 1315, Bus Drivers’ & Attendants’ Unit.

Approval of Memorandums of Understanding with the United Educators of Pittsfield and the Pittsfield Pittsfield Federation of School Employees/AFT, Local 1315, Bus Drivers’ & Attendants’ Unit – These Memorandums will be discussed in executive session and then the School Committee will vote on them in open session. The Memorandums of Understanding will be released after the executive session.

I attended the United Educators of Pittsfield’s Mayoral Q&A session on October 19^th. I decided to attend to learn about the mayoral candidates’ positions on educational matters as if elected I will be serving with one of them on the Pittsfield School Committee.

During his opening statement mayoral candidate John Krol made the following remarks that I feel is worth sharing:

“There’s three different types of students in every single classroom, there are high performers, there are middle of the road, and then there are those who are on IEPs and those kids that also can be disruptions in our classrooms.”

As a former student who was on an IEP throughout most of my time in the Pittsfield Public Schools, I find this remark highly offensive not only to me but to our students on IEPs in our district.