3 days Ago
PITTSFIELD — A painful moment in the Pittsfield Public Schools' history produced emotional responses Wednesday night — as well as a proposal to learn what went wrong and how it can be fixed. It also kindled a resolve to bring the community together for healing. Amid angry and upset comments from residents, teachers, School Committee members, Mayor Peter Marchetti and Superintendent Joseph Curtis, the committee heard a plan from its chairman, William Cameron, for an independent investigation that will address allegations of impropriety that have roiled the school community.
A third-party law firm will be hired to investigate the Pittsfield Public Schools' response to alleged employee misconduct, its vetting process for prospective hires, and how both can be improved. The district will not need to ask the committee for permission or funding to move forward with the probe, Cameron said. The report will be made public, he added.
It was the committee's first meeting since federal law enforcement charged Pittsfield High School Dean of students Lavante Wiggins in connection with a cocaine distribution conspiracy, and since the school's vice principal, Alison Shepard, and a former teacher, Taverick "Tank" Roberson of the Berkshire Family YMCA, were placed on administrative leave by their respective employers, That's pending state Department of Children and Families investigations into allegations of improper relationships with students. The full house of about 90 spectators in the City Council chambers was largely populated by United Educators of Pittsfield members, who stood as their union president, Jeanne Lemmond, called on the committee to complete negotiations for a new teachers contract. But those union members, in red T-shirts, remained for the public comment period and applauded speakers.
Residents speaking during the public comment period, including teachers, were outraged by the allegations and the lack of "mandatory reporting" that resulted. Under state law Chapter 51A, teachers and administrators are required to report reasonable suspicion of abuse or injury to students to the state, or to supervisors. Commenters were angered by leaders' assertions that they were unaware of the alleged misbehavior.
There was also repeated questioning of the schools' hiring practices; Valerie Andersen said she was stunned that Wiggins was hired as dean of students with a state teaching license in dance, which was expired at the time of his arrest. Paul Gregory addresses the Pittsfield School Committee during Wednesday's meeting. "The question to ask is, 'Who didn't know?' Not, 'Who knew,'" he said, wondering aloud if the community would have learned about the allegations had the FBI not arrested Lavante Wiggins, the dean of students.
"This is the time to demonstrate an educational term, some grit, some determination and focus to do the right thing," Paul Gregory said. "Please do not, as happens so often in Pittsfield, downplay this and sweep it under the rug," Andersen added. "It's time for the School Committee to be bold and clean house.
" Valerie Andersen addresses the Pittsfield School Committee on Wednesday. "It's time for the School Committee to be bold and clean house," she said. The anger and embarrassment was shared by members of the committee — as was concern for the PHS community, especially its students.
Committee member Sara Hathaway went as far as to apologize to the city and its students. But members also resolved to bring the school community together to heal its wounds and bind what is broken. Marchetti, making his first public comments on the mess, pledged "that we will hold everyone accountable along the way, when we get a fair investigation back from DCF and the FBI.
" He will also look out for students and teachers who are hurt by the allegations, not only at PHS but across the district. The allegations don't represent what the city schools are about, he said. Noting Curtis and Assistant Superintendent Matt Bishop have been at PHS since Monday, Marchetti said he'd join them and "open the door" for students who want to talk.
"But my pledge is taking care of the people today, because I know they're hurting, I know they're afraid, and I know they need and when the investigation comes back, we'll take action to hold folks accountable," Marchetti said. "We cannot do this alone, and I don't want to be pointing fingers of who would be, what, when and where. We need to take action.
" Pittsfield Schools Superintendent Joseph Curtis listens during Wednesday's School Committee meeting. In his own remarks, Curtis said he was deeply affected by the drama unfolding around Pittsfield High School. "I am embarrassed and I'm livid," he said.
Curtis, prefacing his remarks by recalling how teachers inspired him to become an educator himself, said he was "immediately outraged" by the allegations. "I have not slept and I am not quite myself," he said. "If anything thinks I am OK with this .
.. If you believe that then you do not know me.
This is highly upsetting. I am embarrassed and I'm livid." But Curtis also said he found inspiration this week in an art class at Pittsfield High that was making holiday decorations.
Those decorations went to the Mt. Greylock Extended Care Facility, where Curtis' mother currently resides, he said. Elizabeth Klepetar, a PHS sophomore and student member of the committee, spoke at Cameron's invitation about how the allegations have affected the student body.
She said while the situation is unfortunate, she's confident the school will pull together. "I will say that there's no question in my mind that we will get past this because of the community that we have built," she said. "And I dedicate that entirely to the teachers who tirelessly support us every single day, and I think that this is just a really great time to show the community that PHS has built.
" Jackie Ricci said as a parent and teacher, she is "furious an entire school community has been endangered by unqualified and improperly trained administrators. How did these individuals ever receive these roles without the necessary training and licensing?" "Meanwhile, fully licensed teachers with master's degrees — dedicated professionals — are denied professional status and essential salary step increases," she said. "This imbalance is not only inequitable, but deeply demoralizing for the very people who work tirelessly to educate and support our children.
" Of what was allegedly going on at PHS, Gregory said the "whispers have become conversations" now that allegations have been made public. "The question to ask is, 'Who didn't know?' Not, 'Who knew,'" he said, wondering aloud if the community would have learned about the allegations had the FBI not arrested and charged Wiggins. Jackie Sykes echoed that sentiment.
"I would hope that you clean house, because parents knew about this. Kids knew about this. And I don't know how any of you can sit here and say you didn't know about it," she said.
"It's disgusting." Gregory and others also wondered aloud what would have been known of the allegations had the FBI not arrested Wiggins a week ago. "If drug dealing was not a federal case, would we as a public even be having these conversations today?" he asked.
Andersen was incensed that Wiggins "must have felt he was untouchable." In committee comments, Hathaway said she made a promise when running for mayor in 2001 that "you've raised your children to be good citizens. I'll raise this city to be worthy of your children.
"And last week, those circumstances were clearly not where I would have wanted them to be," she said. "So we're all going to work together. I have great faith as well in our schools, in our community.
I'm grateful to the teachers who are pulling together and helping our students through this." Committee Vice Chair Dan Elias also asked that people remember what's good about the city schools, and supported Curtis. "I don't agree with everything that he does, but I agree that he is an honest and decent person, just trying to do the best he can in a very difficult school system that is not unlike many other places across our country," he said.
William Garrity echoed Marchetti in prioritizing care of students, and reminded the audience that the process must run its course. "It's troubling, but we have to wait for the investigation," he said..
