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School Committee Chair Richard Peters, new Dalton representative Sara Tucker and Superintendent Leslie Blake-Davis.

Central Berkshire School Committee Appoints Dalton Representative

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
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DALTON, Mass.  — Central Berkshire Regional School Committee appointed its newest member, Sara Tucker, during its meeting last week. 
 
Tucker will be serving as the committee's Dalton representative taking the place of the town's former representative Nicole Tucker. Although Sara and Nicole share a last name they have no relation. 
 
Nicole Tucker decided to leave her seat early, which caused a vacancy on the committee that needed to be filled. The district put a call out for applications and received three but two dropped out. 
 
The seat will be included in the elections in November so the community can vote who they want to have as the Dalton representative. 
 
Sara Tucker is a supervisor for an adolescent unit at the state Department of Children and Families. 
 
As a social worker, she has experience working with teens in the criminal justice system which the committee has not had before, committee Chair Richard Peters said. 
 
"I'm excited actually, because obviously she has a lot of energy and a lot of really good experience and it's good to have a really great mix of people, parents, other folks who've been not in education, folks that are in education, and we have a really good blend of all of the above characters," Peters said. 
 
"So, it really works out well and everybody on the committee is very respectful and it's just a pleasure to be on this committee, and I hope it maintains that for sure. It actually makes it really nice. So, I'm excited to have her, that's for sure." 
 
Tucker has children in the district, one who will be going to Nessacus Regional Middle School next year and another one is involved in special education and receives Individualized Education Program services. She also is president of the Parent Teacher Organization.
 
"Since my kiddos started, I've been trying to figure out ways to kind of be helpful to the school system to be helpful to my children and their growth within the school system," Tucker said. 
 
"I think she has an excellent background," Superintendent Leslie Blake-Davis. "She has great ideas, great suggestions. She's very invested in all students. She has children in the district."
 
As the PTO president, Tucker has helped the Craneville Elementary School principal bring in more "diversity, equity inclusion" with a reading program. 
 
The program works to increase belonging and make children feel included while also encouraging readers, especially the reluctant readers, she said. She is also working with Craneville to bring the entrepreneur fair for its fifth graders. 
 
She has a master's degree in social work from the University of Albany in New York and a post-master's certificate working with adolescents and children that are dealing with different challenges. 
 
"Having that experience and coming from where I'm trying to kind of fix things. I would love to be able to kind of come in here and help create more positive change for our kids and our staff," Tucker said. 

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Pittsfield City Council Weighs in on 'Crisis' in Public Schools

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff

A half-dozen people addressed the City Council from the floor of Monday's meeting, including Valerie Anderson, right.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — After expressing anger and outrage and making numerous calls for accountability and transparency, the 11 members of the City Council on Monday voted to support the School Committee in seeking an independent investigation into allegations of misconduct by staff members at Pittsfield High School that have come to light in recent weeks.
 
At the close of a month that has seen three PHS administrators put on administrative leave, including one who was arrested on drug trafficking charges, the revelation that the district is facing a civil lawsuit over inappropriate conduct by a former teacher and that a staff member who left earlier in the year is also under investigation at his current workplace, the majority of the council felt compelled to speak up about the situation.
 
"While the City Council does not have jurisdiction over the schools … we have a duty to raise our voices and amplify your concerns and ensure this crisis is met with the urgency it demands," Ward 5 Councilor Patrick Kavey said.
 
About two dozen community members attended the special meeting of the council, which had a single agenda item.
 
Four of the councilors precipitated the meeting with a motion that the council join the School Committee in its search for an investigation and that the council, "be included in the delivery of any disclosures, interim reports or findings submitted to the city."
 
Last week, the School Committee decided to launch that investigation. On Monday, City Council President Peter White said the School Committee has a meeting scheduled for Dec. 30 to authorize its chair to enter negotiations with the Springfield law firm of Bulkley, Richardson and Gelinas to conduct that probe.
 
Ward 7 Councilor Rhonda Serre, the principal author of the motion of support, was one of several members who noted that the investigation process will take time, and she, like Kavey, acknowledged that the council has no power over the public schools beyond its approval of the annual district budget.
 
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