Third PHS Staff Member Put on LeaveBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
06:35PM / Thursday, December 19, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A third Pittsfield High School staff member has been put on administrative leave — the second one to be investigated by the Department of Children and Families.
In a Thursday communication to the Pittsfield Public Schools community, Superintendent Joseph Curtis said allegations related to the staff member's time at a previous employer, not at PHS. Former Principal Henry Duval has been called in to support the administrative staff during this time.
"The School Committee and I realize how difficult the past week has been for our community," the superintendent wrote.
Last week, PHS Dean Lavante Wiggins was arrested and charged by the U.S.
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'An Abomination': Parents, Residents React to PHS Staff ScandalBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:39AM / Thursday, December 19, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass.— "Disgusting," an "abomination," and warranting a "clean house."
This is what angry community members said after two Pittsfield High School staff were put on administrative leave in the last week, one for federal drug charges and the other for an investigation by the Department of Children and Families.
Superintendent Joseph Curtis addressed claims that the district was aware of illegal activity at the school, asserting "I am embarrassed and I am livid."
"When I started getting the text messages at virtually the same time, I was immediately outraged," he said at Wednesday's School Committee
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PHS Student Files Suit Against Teacher, School DistrictStaff Reports,
05:27AM / Thursday, December 19, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Adding to the Pittsfield High School's woes is a lawsuit filed in federal court accusing officials failing to intervene in a teacher's sexual harassment of a student. The school last week put two of its administrators on leave because of external investigations: Dean of Students Lavante Wiggins was arrested and arraigned by federal authorities on drug trafficking charges and the other is the subject of an investigation by the state Department of Children and Families. The lawsuit, first reported by The Berkshire Eagle, was filed in September in U.S. District Court in Springfield. A PHS student has accused retired English >> Read More |
BCC Offers Free EMT Basic Training Course | 08:06AM / Wednesday, December 18, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass — The Workforce & Community Education Program at Berkshire Community College (BCC) presents an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) basic training course from Jan. 23 through April 26, 2025. Two class times will be available on Mondays and Wednesdays, either noon-4 p.m. or 6-10 p.m., plus every other Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuition is grant-funded for eligible applicants. One hundred percent attendance is required for this training course. Instructor Christine Isca offers face-to-face instruction at County Ambulance, located at 175 Wahconah Street in Pittsfield. Space is limited, and pre-registration is >> Read More |
Wahconah Senior Presented 2024 Superintendents Award| 05:32PM / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 | |
 DALTON, Mass. — Wahconah Regional High School senior Logan Kunde has been presented with the Superintendents' Award. Central Berkshire Regional Superintendent of Schools Leslie Blake-Davis made the award at last week's School Committee meeting. Kunde earned the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents' Certificate of Academic Excellence Award for achieving high academic standing at Wahconah. "I am so very proud of Logan's achievements and it is an honor to present him with this award," said Blake-Davis, adding he has consistently demonstrated high academic performance, as exemplified by his grade average of >> Read More |
BCC Spring Semester Starts Jan. 21 | 10:31AM / Tuesday, December 17, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC) begins its spring semester Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2023. A variety of learning options is offered, including in-person, online and hybrid. Fully online options are now available for associate degrees and certificates in business, medical coding and liberal arts. Thanks to funding from the Commonwealth, community college tuition is free for most students who do not hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Some students are also eligible for free books and supplies. Prospective students may apply online at www.berkshirecc.edu/apply or visit the OneStop Enrollment Center, where admissions advisors are on hand to help with
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Second PHS Staff Member Put on Administrative LeaveBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
07:45PM / Monday, December 16, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass.— A Pittsfield High School staff member has been put on administrative leave because of an investigation being conducted by the state Department of Children and Families. This is the second PHS staff member put on leave in the last week. On Monday, Superintendent Joseph Curtis contacted the Pittsfield Public Schools community reporting that on Friday, Dec. 13, the district was formally notified of an investigation being conducted by DCF. The individual was immediately placed on administrative leave and district officials say they are conducting an internal investigation on the "serious allegations" made. The release did not detail the
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Teacher of the Month: Yamila BaduiBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:12PM / Saturday, December 14, 2024 | |
Her students say her classes are welcoming and engaging and feel like they learn better. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Taconic High School Spanish and world language teacher Yamila Badui has been selected as the December Teacher of the Month. The Teacher of the Month series, in collaboration with Berkshire Community College, will run for the next five months and will feature distinguished teachers nominated by community members. You can nominate a teacher here. Badui has been a teacher for about 20 years, starting as an elementary school teacher while living in Puerto Rico. When she moved to the United States, she not only adapted to life >> Read More |
BCC Wraps Up First Cohort of Paraprofessional Educators Class| 02:13PM / Friday, December 13, 2024 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC) recently celebrated the graduation of its first-ever cohort of Paraprofessional Educators, also known as "para educators." Six participants completed the six-week program in late November, with three already securing employment in local educational institutions and the remaining three awaiting responses to their applications. Three of the graduates successfully passed the ParaPro final exam, earning the industry-recognized ParaPro credential. "It's always exciting when a new program debuts at BCC, but it's even more exciting when that program is such a success right out of the >> Read More |
McCann Senior Gets Superintendent Award; Committee Hears About Co-op ProgramBy Tammy Daniels, iBerkshires Staff
05:41AM / Friday, December 13, 2024 | |
Thomas Tinney shows the School Committee presentation used for prospective employers in the cooperative work program. NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Senior Camryn Moran was presented with the Superintendent's Award at the Thursday meeting of the McCann School Committee. "When we have these students for the super Attendance Award. They are a standout," said Assistant Principal Keith Daigneault. "And they're a standout because they embody, they embody all of the things that we strive for our students to be." Moran, the daughter of Jason and Olivia Moran, has a grade-point average of 4.41 and has received a grade of A-plus in each of her >> Read More |
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