Pittsfield School Committee Approves Long-Anticipated Teacher ContractBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:11AM / Monday, May 12, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The School Committee last week formally approved a three-year contract with the United Educators of Pittsfield after more than a year of negotiations.
Under the contract, teachers will make between about $65,000 at Step 1 with a bachelor's degree and about $128,500 at Step 18 with a doctorate in fiscal year 2027. It also reduces the number of half days scheduled for professional development. The UEP represents classroom teachers, guidance counselors, department heads, and other specialists.
"UEP started looking at what we wanted to present for the contract back in October of 2023," President Jeanne Lemmond said after the vote was made at Reid
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Mill Town Foundation Announces 2025 Core Impact Award Honorees for Pittsfield Educators| 03:38PM / Sunday, May 11, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass.— The Mill Town Foundation, in partnership with Pittsfield Public Schools and with support from the Feigenbaum Foundation, has announced the honorees of the 2025 Core Impact Awards. This initiative recognizes educators within the Pittsfield Public School District for their contributions to student learning, classroom innovation, and community involvement. The Core Impact Awards annually select one full-time teacher or school staff member from each of Pittsfield's 14 public schools. The nomination process involved an open community call for submissions from students, families, colleagues, and residents. A volunteer, independent Selection Committee, comprising
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BCC to Host Free College Information Session May 14| 10:42AM / Friday, May 09, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC) will host an information session on Wednesday, May 14, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. to explain how Massachusetts residents may be eligible to attend community college at no cost. The session will take place in the Susan B. Anthony Lounge on BCC's main campus, located at 1350 West St. The session will outline the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' free community college initiatives, which provide tuition- and fee-free education to residents who have not yet earned a bachelor's degree. The program also includes an allowance for books and supplies for qualifying students. The event is free and open to the >> Read More |
Pittsfield High Concludes 'Working' Performance This WeekendBy Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff
05:48AM / Friday, May 09, 2025 | |
The students worked on acting and production to bring the musical to the stage. See more photos here. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — After a stressful yet exciting opening weekend of the spring musical "Working," the Pittsfield High School Proteus Theatre actors and actresses are ready to build on their success this weekend during their closing shows. The students will conclude the musical this Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 2:30 p.m. The students worked diligently on this musical, starting with learning the music and the basic elements of the performance, which transitioned into integrating themselves into the story and culminated in Tech Week, where >> Read More |
Commissioned Report Clears Three PHS Staff & FacultyBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
08:48PM / Thursday, May 08, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass.— Four of the five executive summaries on alleged staff misconduct at Pittsfield High School have been released, clearing so far two administrators and a former teacher. Three administrators and two teachers, past and present, were investigated by Bulkley Richardson and Gelinas LLP at the request of the School Committee for a range of allegations that surfaced or re-surfaced at the end of 2024 after Dean of Students Lavante Wiggins was arrested and charged by the U.S. Attorney's Office for allegedly conspiring to traffic large quantities of cocaine in Western Massachusetts. The investigation into Wiggins found the accusations of improprieties with students to be
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Pittsfield Investigation Clears Wiggins of Student Improprieties By Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
03:40PM / Thursday, May 08, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Four of the five executive summaries on alleged staff misconduct at Pittsfield High School have been released, including for Pittsfield High's former dean of students, Lavante Wiggins. Wiggins is identified as "administrator 1" in the report. Three administrators and two teachers, past and present, were investigated by Bulkley Richardson and Gelinas LLP for a range of allegations that surfaced or re-surfaced at the end of 2024 after Wiggins was arrested and charged by the U.S. Attorney's Office for allegedly conspiring to traffic large quantities of cocaine in Western Massachusetts. BRG, commissioned by the School Committee,
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Pittsfield Holds First Hearing on School RestructuringBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:18AM / Wednesday, May 07, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The district's middle and elementary school restructuring aims to give every student equal opportunity regardless of their address.
On Monday, the Middle School Restructuring Committee held a public hearing for the proposal to create an upper elementary school for grades 5-6 and a junior high school for grades 7-8 by the 2026-2027 academic year. The model also groups prekindergarten and first grade in one school and grades 2-4 in another.
"We see the opportunities. We know there's going to be challenges, but we see those opportunities as outweighing those," Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction, and Educational Engagement Matthew
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Pittsfield Interviewing 4 for Interim SuperintendentBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
04:36PM / Tuesday, May 06, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Four external candidates for Pittsfield's interim superintendent will be interviewed this week.
They are Roland Joyal Jr., Latifah Phillips, Robert Putnam, and Mary Jane Rickson. Outgoing Superintendent Joseph Curtis will step down on July 1 after 30 years with the district.
On Tuesday, School Committee Chair William Cameron reported via email that 11 applications were submitted to the Massachusetts Association of School Committees for the one-year interim superintendent position.
"The School Committee's Personnel & Negotiations Subcommittee has reviewed all the materials submitted to MASC by applicants," he wrote. "There were
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BCC to Hold Talk on State Fire Marshall History | 11:32AM / Monday, May 05, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass — Berkshire Community College (BCC)'s Fire Science Program welcomes guest speaker Joshua Stanley to present "The History of the Massachusetts State Fire Marshal's Office: Transforming Tragedy into Progress" on Tuesday, May 6 at 6 p.m. Local firefighters, BCC students and the public are invited to attend. The free talk will be held in Melville Hall, Room 317, located on BCC's main campus at 1350 West Street, Pittsfield. It will also be available online. To register for the Zoom session, visit www.berkshirecc.edu/fire-history. Shanley's presentation demonstrates how historic fires, explosions and building >> Read More |
Pittsfield School Committee Adopts $86M BudgetBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
02:48PM / Sunday, May 04, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Pittsfield Public School's budget for the upcoming fiscal year includes added communication supports and a special project manager.
The School Committee on Wednesday adopted a $86,450,361 budget for fiscal year 2026 that includes an $18 million city contribution and more than $68 million of anticipated Chapter 70 funding.
It is a $3,765,084 increase from this year. With $450,000 in school choice and Richmond tuition funds, it totals $86,900,361.
While the bottom line stayed the same, this iteration of the budget accommodates the School Committee's two requests, reallocating $20,000 for contracted communications services and $80,000 for a special project
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