[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6397222,"mediaKeyId","2093517-aa7e73610b64b1583be0e6912f2ef057","parentId",2093517,"title","Votes at a glance: Pittsfield School Committee, Jan. 8, 2025","audioSeconds",1035,"startMs",2606000,"endMs",3641000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2093517-aa7e73610b64b1583be0e6912f2ef057&start=2606&end=3641","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2093517-aa7e73610b64b1583be0e6912f2ef057/thumbnail_2606000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6397222/Massachusetts/Votes-at-a-glance-Pittsfield-School-Committee-Jan-8-2025","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6397222-6f4c6e8081c856d72d4b1a20dbff7a95/orig.mp4?Expires=1771020521&Signature=e5N33Ff40GytBW6D9golD~Fm4h-TXU98XUBx~dBc3jws~eFti4KJ7A4zyvKjLBrEzdMMI6A-tW-H0nB-XDjcnf3EhQQ9NcJvwUcf2OeEebJVFfFvgm9sS0RkHiVNNaZiNQ3BdhnoAslSxSZuxiy5lI6gzxTMV2zWihimT-IKj9HRWvpN3Y4ZN2VLZwO3~6AorKDxYkmPeVi3BNxCt6jSjbX66dDeLBUjsPb3ezMTmECi2RSHti~m~jpwnWs2eQ0T2JLXlnXsnz4Gl9MUYKfIQ0uv0Bp2WWCeh3cu8EWXWkcwqrAyC4SRJLz33bf2a6Ci2G8wgELxfHjTucuiQnp~7w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Pittsfield Public Schools, MA","date","2025-01-08T00:00:00Z","article","The Pittsfield School Committee took the following recorded actions at its Jan. 8 meeting. All motions below carried by voice vote with no recorded opposition unless noted.

1) Accept superintendent’s report — Motion made and seconded; committee voted to accept Superintendent Curtis’s report (includes updates on EPA clean school bus rebate application, WIDA testing, targeted assistance grant, PowerSchool breach communications). Outcome: Accepted (voice vote, no opposition).

2) Adopt 2024–2029 strategic plan — Motion to accept the presentation by Jonathan Costa and approve the 2024–2029 strategic coherence document. Outcome: Adopted (voice vote, no opposition).

3) Renew STU‑11 career and technical education admissions policy — Annual required review under DESE Chapter 74; policy retains resident priority and lottery if oversubscribed and removes former selection criteria (attendance, grades, behavior). Outcome: Renewed (voice vote, no opposition).

4) Table approval of retainer agreement with Merrick O’Connell for audit of employment practices — Motion to table until Jan. 22. Outcome: Tabled (voice vote, no opposition).

5) Accept report on education spending outside the school committee budget and governor’s budget update — Motion to accept enclosures 3a/3b (net school spending summary and estimates). Outcome: Accepted (voice vote, no opposition).

6) Accept personnel report — Motion to place the personnel report on file. Outcome: Accepted (voice vote, no opposition).

7) Executive session minutes — Committee approved minutes from the Dec. 4, 2024 executive session (vote taken in executive session). Outcome: Approved (executive session vote reported on reconvening).

Details and contextual notes: several motions did not record individual roll‑call tallies in open session; votes were carried by voice. The committee chair announced that members present gave unanimous “ayes” on items that passed. The committee met a quorum at the start of the meeting; attendance was taken at roll call.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Pittsfield School Committee Meeting - January 8, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","A summary of motions and recorded outcomes from the Jan. 8 Pittsfield School Committee meeting, including adoption of the strategic plan, renewal of STU‑11 vocational admissions policy, acceptance of the superintendent’s report and other routine approvals.","taxTitle","Pittsfield Public Schools, School Boards, Massachusetts","taxId",67740,"location","Massachusetts","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6397227,"School Committee renews Taconic vocational admissions policy; district reports rising enrollment and Chapter 70 revenue",1070,3680000,4750000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2093517-aa7e73610b64b1583be0e6912f2ef057&start=3680&end=4750","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2093517-aa7e73610b64b1583be0e6912f2ef057/thumbnail_3680000.jpg","/articles/6397227/Massachusetts/School-Committee-renews-Taconic-vocational-admissions-policy-district-reports-rising-enrollment-and-Chapter-70-revenue","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6397227-59c6b4e4669111fddf0a26e9f7eccae8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771020521&Signature=dr2xt1083UET1j64vll8Gi6yLs9s9qZbNMNtfE5J5XQsKaE2NeCIPW-Cl8xC3aC1K7KKd~-2zgfdppA02yZMYSt56CDLaim6b379z~ZOvO04K0ArL2HfBBIpvESvBbgTgowFF1iYE0~0OUC67Ieph8QlXr~qLpQZLv0JFcgSBaHHsBIvlNoeTuPDXjvfnQk2r2LFPtVkjluJoYvYwloVDwwHz6GiJ36jKy0An-Fip5fykJKQWYTItdaK82gZEnCtODIq6S~tWrkEQ3B1PA7aNEcPRG9mJNvWxIrhX2YFkLNSXqfFveoejxvXTVtSwA2jF3HHqXKbJsugZk5ZEREpLw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The school committee unanimously renewed the district’s STU‑11 career and technical education admissions policy on Jan. 8, retaining the year‑by‑year requirement that the committee review and publish the policy and seat counts.

Under the current policy, Pittsfield residents are given priority for seats at Taconic Career & Technical High School; nonresident applicants may be admitted only if space is available. The policy removed former selection criteria such as attendance, grades or behavior and provides for a lottery if applications exceed available seats. The committee took the renewal as the annual action required by DESE Chapter 74 regulation.

Assistant administrators reporting at the meeting said Taconic’s 9th‑grade vocational enrollment has grown significantly since the school launched its vocational conversion. The presentation compared FY19 enrollment (324) with FY25 estimates of roughly 620 students at Taconic, and projected FY26 Chapter 70 reimbursement growth tied to increased vocational enrollment. The presenter said vocational per‑pupil reimbursement rates are higher than the regular high‑school rate and that the district anticipates additional Chapter 70 revenue as Taconic continues to fill vocational seats.

Officials said admissions for the Class of 2029 open Feb. 1; a limited number of seats may be offered to current 9th‑grade students for the class of 2028 where available. The administration noted regulatory hour requirements limit students’ ability to join a Chapter 74 program after fall of 10th grade in most pathways.

The committee voted to renew the policy and to make the annual Feb. 1 seat and application timeline public. Committee members asked administrators to continue monitoring capacity and to publicize available seats and adult training options for graduates and community members.

Motion to renew STU‑11 carried by voice vote with no recorded opposition.","The committee renewed its annual STU‑11 career and technical education admissions policy Jan. 8, keeping a Pittsfield resident preference with a lottery if seats exceed capacity; administrators reported growth at Taconic and projected higher Chapter 70 reimbursement driven by vocational enrollment increases.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6397231,"Superintendent reports PowerSchool data breach; district notifies families and awaits vendor remediation",0,2340000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2093517-aa7e73610b64b1583be0e6912f2ef057&start=2340&end=2340","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2093517-aa7e73610b64b1583be0e6912f2ef057/thumbnail_2340000.jpg","/articles/6397231/Massachusetts/Superintendent-reports-PowerSchool-data-breach-district-notifies-families-and-awaits-vendor-remediation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6397231-f3e906f27ce51b4b491fa36963a7f4b2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771020521&Signature=CqR5MaRLGsSijxzIwaP0560th~1sAcGBkNuWkc36dgFBT-aEqWJFFxKcqDKEAPOq~9Pn~7krp2J8LpzhhujhsDxMs~vmrZ0i3nqFJzNxEnmm2xj6kqOZxoCGwol6QeTOrsHw3pl~B8-QIv~krf~~cR~jSTB8LYicdcy9HaCxROOwtHFfll2VCCh2R3AK16RwR5tzSW9lPTQiRzdmuHC7Rc3HgnkemYifRnN5YASiua-RF3jAsJJpERwRh9zopR5t2UrjCtdOJcRqTiBUifEGnwgCekcHfqX-SJDis9fu5-ceJbWQmgDAWtIEq~zvF3qeoEO4BVzIeFRfVgDk-NOsAg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Superintendent Curtis told the School Committee that PowerSchool — a widely used student information system — experienced a global breach that allowed an unauthorized user to export fields labeled “student” and “teacher” from PowerSchool servers.

The district’s initial analysis showed the breach allowed export of directory fields such as home addresses, phone numbers and email addresses; the superintendent said the breach did not include passwords. Curtis said PowerSchool informed customers that the attacker used a compromised PowerSchool employee account and that PowerSchool has taken steps to secure systems and will provide credit‑monitoring and identity‑protection services for affected minors.

Curtis said the district circulated two family information releases and two staff notices the same day the breach was disclosed, and the district’s technology team has continued to assess the scope. He said PowerSchool serves about 18,000 customers worldwide, and the breach affects many districts beyond Pittsfield.

Director of Technology Richard White was present for questions from committee members and committee members thanked him for the department’s rapid work. Committee members raised cybersecurity concerns and said they expect the vendor to be held accountable and to provide needed remediation and protective services for affected families.

The committee heard that the district’s next steps include monitoring PowerSchool updates, coordinating family and staff communications, and evaluating any additional local mitigations the technology office recommends. No formal action or appropriation was taken on Jan. 8.

The superintendent also updated the committee on several district initiatives in the same report, including an EPA Clean School Bus Program rebate application and ongoing assessments for English learners (WIDA) and special education processes; those items were presented as informational updates and accepted as part of the superintendent’s report.","Pittsfield Public Schools officials told the School Committee Jan. 8 that a global data breach at PowerSchool exposed student and staff directory fields and that the district has begun family and staff notifications; PowerSchool has said it will offer identity protection for affected minors.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":46,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6397236,"School Committee approves 2024–2029 strategic plan focused on ‘durable’ instruction and AI readiness",1052,2589000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2093517-aa7e73610b64b1583be0e6912f2ef057&start=2589&end=3641","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2093517-aa7e73610b64b1583be0e6912f2ef057/thumbnail_2589000.jpg","/articles/6397236/Massachusetts/School-Committee-approves-20242029-strategic-plan-focused-on-durable-instruction-and-AI-readiness","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6397236-a59b15df555ef8d6493482ad60ca57b1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771020521&Signature=Fh3I1~u7Mmv5C4CZ~LwtlBTf-nR8OYnRYJl7vc3dCoYdmoTgTV2y0hISsV31DABiO0LnIYvCdDGdQBSY3caZq4X5om7ntxwNzZXL6x-mcXFu2PRMUoRphG-LLm1a5fLQq39KlsDqTA~QN0CkDch9aeAklKZjjRx2NkXuSgsEf9FYnP9MI7M6gZkZ8yMb0vs-aK5o8mcRjJG~3SevwDJF4MrtHA5UzxdpvBXKdPoMCO~5a-H2KTrjLSAZKONj8CgdhqYKPYia1hztzu6ITGF2wrK13nad-1CmGfOcW-yZKL~1wlNwNkbVSgS6B~QF85P15qTV4I1XLY2ctEEnhOFvPw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Pittsfield School Committee voted to adopt a districtwide strategic plan for 2024–2029 after an eight‑month community planning process led by consultant Jonathan Costa.

The plan centers on four strategic priorities intended to align curriculum, instruction and assessment with a Portrait of a Graduate and to shift teaching toward “durable” instruction — learning tasks that cannot be fully replaced by artificial intelligence. Jonathan Costa summarized the work and the committee approved the plan by voice vote.

Why it matters: Committee members and staff said the plan is intended to prepare students for “life, learning and work beyond school,” including the likely increasing presence of AI tools in workplaces. Adopting the five‑year plan commits the district to year‑by‑year implementation steps and to public reporting on indicators of success.

Costa told the committee his team asked: should schools prepare students for “the last challenge or the next one,” and argued that rapid advances in AI make durable skills — self‑directed learning, communication, critical thinking and adaptability — central to the district’s aims. He described the planning process as community-driven and said participants converted identified gaps into strategies and measurable indicators.

Superintendent Curtis and committee members asked how the plan would be sustained over time. Curtis said the intent is to embed the plan in hiring, professional development and the district improvement process, with annual reviews and adjustments. Committee members stressed the need for continuing public updates and for integrating the plan with teacher evaluation and building‑level professional development.

In follow-up questions, committee members pressed whether the district would teach students to use AI tools as well as to guard against misuse. Costa and Curtisas said curricula and micro‑credentials exist that introduce educators and students to AI; they said the district should teach both ethical use and practical skills so students have an advantage in future workplaces.

The committee adopted the plan after a motion to approve the strategic coherence document for 2024–2029; members voted in favor by voice vote, with no opposition.

The committee chair said annual reports and incremental targets will accompany the plan so the district can review progress and revise year‑by‑year goals.

The committee also received public comment at the start of the meeting that urged faster, broader investigations of recent allegations at Pittsfield High School; those comments were heard before the strategic plan presentation and were referenced by several committee members as part of the context for the district’s priorities.","The Pittsfield School Committee voted unanimously Jan. 8 to adopt a five-year strategic plan that emphasizes deeper learning, student “portrait of a graduate” outcomes and preparing students to work with artificial-intelligence tools, following an eight-month community process led by consultant Jonathan Costa.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Pittsfield School Committee, Jan. 8, 2025

School Committee renews Taconic vocational admissions policy; district reports rising enrollment and Chapter 70 revenue

Superintendent reports PowerSchool data breach; district notifies families and awaits vendor remediation

School Committee approves 2024–2029 strategic plan focused on ‘durable’ instruction and AI readiness