BCC Welcomes Applicants for Para Educator Training | 11:12AM / Tuesday, December 16, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC) is accepting applications for its Para Educator Training course. Classes are held four days per week from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. beginning Monday, Jan. 5 and concluding Thursday, Feb. 12. This is an entry-level course with no prerequisites. Registrants must be 18 years or older and have a high school diploma, GED or equivalent. To view more information, including specific course hours and days, and to fill out an interest form, visit www.berkshirecc.edu/paraeducator. Para educators play a vital role in supporting teachers in the classroom. The para educator certificate can also >> Read More |
OLLI at BCC Announces Winter 2026 Semester| 07:15AM / Monday, December 15, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Berkshire Community College (OLLI at BCC) announced its Winter 2026 class catalogue, offering hundreds of courses, lectures, and events — online and in person — for adults seeking enrichment, connection, and community. Online registration is open at berkshireolli.org/winter2026. Each winter, OLLI brings together a learning community from across the Berkshires. In Winter 2026, members may choose from a variety of classes, spanning literature, history, science, arts, current events and even practical topics such as self-defense and hiking. Some highlights of the Winter 2026 >> Read More |
BCC Announces Staff Members, Title Changes | 11:02AM / Sunday, December 14, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC) announced the addition of five new staff members and three title changes. Meghan Bone joins BCC as Special Programs Coordinator, Bridge to College, bringing over a decade of experience leading college readiness programs for high school and first-year college students. Before joining the BCC team, she worked as the Eureka! Director at Girls Inc. of the Valley and as the STEM Starter Academy Director at Springfield Technical Community College (STCC). Outside of work, she enjoys playing ultimate frisbee, digging in her garden and making joyful drumming music. Andrew Liebenow joins BCC as HVAC Mechanic >> Read More |
Most of Pittsfield School Committee Bids Farewell By Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
12:02PM / Saturday, December 13, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The School Committee will look much different after inauguration day, as Daniel Elias is the only member who will return.
On Wednesday, during the last meeting of the term, departing School Committee members shared their thanks and reflections on the state of education in Pittsfield. Sara Hathaway unsuccessfully ran for councilor at large, and Chair William Cameron, William Garrity, Diana Belair, and Dominick Sacco did not seek re-election.
"I always like to take this opportunity to say goodbye to the other members. Usually it's one or maybe two, never this many," Elias said.
He, Ciara Batory, Sarah Muil, Katherine Yon, Heather
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Pittsfield Middle Schools to Restructure Next Fall By Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:05AM / Friday, December 12, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city's middle schools will restructure next fall to give all students equitable access to education and take fifth grade out of the early elementary level.
Over nearly two hours on Wednesday, the School Committee and district officials mulled the decision to move forward with an upper elementary and junior high school model in September 2026. Committee members were ready to move the project forward, while Mayor Peter Marchetti wanted to extend the decision to February or March.
"I don't support waiting until March to make another decision about this, because then we're just kicking the can down the road, and everyone's in a
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OLLI at BCC Presents 'Transformative Spaces: Building a New Museum'| 08:58AM / Friday, December 05, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Berkshire Community College (BCC) presents "Transformative Spaces: Building a New Museum" via Zoom on Wednesday, Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Pamela Franks, Class of 1956 Director of the Williams College Museum of Art (WCMA), will share the current plans for the new museum building, scheduled to open in 2027. The building was designed by Brooklyn, N.Y. architecture firm Solid Objectives – Idenburg Liu, known as SO-IL. The new WCMA will be purpose-built to support transformative experiences with art that are integral to liberal arts education, >> Read More |
Pittsfield Middle School Restructuring to Alter Bus, Bell TimesBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:20AM / Friday, December 05, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — If the School Committee decides to proceed with the middle school restructuring in the fall, students will see changes in bus schedules and, in turn, bell schedules.
Potential busing and instructional models were outlined during a special meeting at Reid Middle School on Monday. The effort is nearing its Dec. 10 checkpoint when the School Committee will decide whether to begin moving into an upper elementary and junior high model, with Grades 5-6 in one school and 7-8 in another, or to push it off another year.
"These are the three key parts that I believe impact when we should begin this restructuring. The first is transportation, the second is
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Central Berkshire's MCAS Scores Rank Higher than StateBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
12:07PM / Monday, December 01, 2025 | |
DALTON, Mass. — Central Berkshire Regional School District is one of 13 districts in the state recognized for exceeding pre-pandemic MCAS scores. "Central Berkshire is also beating the state in percentages of students meeting or exceeding expectations [and its] science scores are the best in the county," said Ellen Lattizzori, curriculum subcommittee chair. Rather than holding a three-hour meeting, the district decided to present the data on each school during a curriculum subcommittee meeting last month. Lattizzori summarized the data during the School Committee's Nov. 20 meeting. At least 50 percent of students without >> Read More |
Teacher of the Month: Billie Jo LamoureauxBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:35PM / Saturday, November 29, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — When Morningside Community School math interventionist Billie Jo Lamoureaux enters the classroom with her math cart, students' faces light up. Her passion and unique approach to teaching have earned her the iBerkshires Teacher of the Month designation. The Teacher of the Month series, in collaboration with Berkshire Community College, will feature distinguished teachers nominated by community members. You can nominate a teacher here. "I think it's the best job in the world. It's absolutely awesome. It's dynamic, every single day, and super adaptive. You get to work with families, you get to work >> Read More |
Pittsfield Council to Vote on Crosby/Conte Feasibility ContractBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
02:19PM / Tuesday, November 25, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council will take a vote on the Crosby/Conte feasibility study agreement on Tuesday.
Throughout the 2025 municipal election season and previous votes, there has been resounding support for the proposal to rebuild and consolidate John C. Crosby Elementary and Silvio O. Conte Community School on the Crosby property.
School officials in 2024 toured the 69,500-square-foot Conte that opened in 1974 and the 69,800-square-foot Crosby that opened in 1962. At Conte, they saw an open concept community school that is not conducive to modern-day needs, and at Crosby, they saw a facility that was built as a middle school and in need of significant
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