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Sparks fly at Pioneer Valley Regional School Committee meeting

 

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• Cars lined Brattleboro Road Thursday night as students, teachers and parents of the Pioneer 
• Valley Regional School District flocked to a committee meeting to voice their concerns 
• over recent changes within the district. Shelby Ashline
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• The Pioneer Valley Regional School District Committee meeting was held Thursday night
  at Pearl Rhodes Elementary School on Brattleboro Road in Leyden. 
  recorder staff/Shelby Ashline
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• The Pioneer Valley Regional School District Committee and Superintendent Ruth Miller hear 
  from students, teachers and parents during a meeting Thursday night at Pearl Rhodes 
  Elementary School. Shelby Ashline
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• Madison Tyson, a student at Pioneer Valley Regional School, speaks to Superintendent Ruth Miller and the School Committee during a meeting Thursday night at Pearl Rhodes Elementary School. recorder staff/Shelby Ashline
SHELBY ASHLINE
Recorder Staff
Thursday, May 26, 2016
LEYDEN — Approximately 75 parents, students and teachers crammed into the small Pearl Rhodes Elementary School cafeteria in Leyden Thursday night to voice heartfelt and often heated complaints of Pioneer Valley Regional School District Superintendent Ruth Miller.
Miller, who took over the position of superintendent from Dayle Doiron prior to the 2015-2016 school year, has faced sharp criticism on several fronts. During a half-hour allotted at the start of the meeting, community members voiced concerns about the finances involved in moving the superintendent’s office, a large number of beloved Pioneer staff members resigning and hiring a public safety officer.

The recent resignation of Pioneer principal Mike Duprey was the last straw for many upset parents, teachers and students.

“Mike Duprey is the one that supports us,” said Madison Tyson, a student at Pioneer. “I don’t feel comfortable at all going to Pioneer. We have teachers that don’t even want to go to school because they feel like they can’t be themselves.”

Duprey is not the first long-term staff member to leave the school since fall 2015. Computer Network Manager Mike Holloway, Director of Special Education Sharon Jones and Bill Wehrli, principal of PVRS before Duprey, round out the list.


“The system is bleeding administrators that are leaving,” said Scott Lyman, a former principal of Bernardston Elementary School and Gill Elementary School, who was the first to speak.
“I would ask that you as the committee do exit interviews with these people as they’re leaving,” he added, echoing a need to find answers that was shared by many audience members.

However, Miller said that the number of staff members leaving Pioneer — including six retirements and a sabbatical — is not unusual in comparison to years past.

“It’s really pretty consistent that we have quite a few people leaving,” she said.

During the last half-hour of the meeting, the committee went back and forth concerning whether or not to accept Duprey’s resignation, without coming to a clear solution.

“I think it’s a travesty to lose him,” Committee Member Bill Wahlstrom said. “Given the sentiment that was expressed tonight, I don’t think we’ve gotten to the bottom of this yet.”


“Personally, I’ve never felt less in-the-know as a member of the School Committee,” added fellow Committee Member Peggy Kaeppel.

Another source of discontent was the relocation of the PVRSD’s central office back in January from the Pioneer campus to a space at 168 Main St. in Northfield. The decision came following the discovery of mold in the old office’s basement. The 18-month lease includes monthly payments of $3,030 for an annual total of $36,360.

Scott McKusick, a clerk of the works who examined the mold situation, said at the meeting that the mold was minor, and could have been easily remediated. He sees the administration’s decision as a poor use of taxpayer money.

However, members of the committee responded that it is a misconception that the office was moved because of the mold. Rather, the modulators that housed the old offices were not intended to be a permanent space and didn’t suit the needs of the administrators.

Jim McCray of Warwick also expressed his concern over the possibility of adding a public safety officer to Pioneer.

“A school that has a police officer on duty is a huge negative in my mind, and I’m against that unless there is a need for it,” he said. “I don’t see any reason. I can’t see how our school or the reputation of our school is helped by having an armed officer for my kid to see every morning when he walks in.”

Despite the irritation, a couple of local officials and students stood up in Miller’s defense.
“She’s practical,” said Dawn Magi, chair of the Warwick selectboard. “She wants the best education for everyone.”

“I can understand people are upset,” she continued. “We’ve known these people (who are resigning) for a long time. But sometimes people need to move on, and sometimes it to our benefit to make a change.”

Lois Stearns, chairwoman of the Northfield Finance Committee, complimented Miller as “a very informative superintendent at budget time.”

Concerning the issue of Duprey, Miller explained to the audience and committee members that she legally cannot disclose Duprey’s reasoning for resigning.

“I really take my job seriously and I respect the privacy of individuals,” Miller added.

“Therefore, I will stay silent on the issue.”

3 comments:

phatarchivesMay 30, 2016 at 9:14 PM

NO STUDENTS STOOD IN HER DEFENSE . A PAST STUDENT SAID WE SHOULD BE KINDER .. BUT NO STUDENT DEFENDED HER ,DURING THE WHOLE MEETING SHE SAID NOTHING, SHE SAT THERE WITH A DUMB LOOK ON HER FACE.
Dayle Doiron was the best superintendent, she supported the kids and the teachers, she went to there games. She listened and she cared.

MR. DUPREY= Loves these kids and has a great relationship with them and the teachers , and they all respect him as well. She has made his life hell. We won't let him go without a fight and will accept her resignation happily.

Miller said that the number of staff members leaving Pioneer — including six retirements and a sabbatical — is not unusual in comparison to years past.THIS IS ANOTHER LIE. NEVER HAD WE LOST PEOPLE LIKE THIS , THEY ARE LEAVING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SCHOOL YEAR WE LOST OUR PRINCIPAL 3 DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS .. HE HAD BEEN WITH US FOR OVER 8 YEARS AND HE JUST UPS AND LEAVES! VERY SUSPICIOUS . SHE ALSO LIED ABOUT HIM AS WELL AS MR. DUPREY AND TOOK IT UPON HERSELF TO CALL THE NEWSPAPER , SAYING HE WAS RETIRING.. HE WAS RESIGNING!A RETRACTION WAS MADE TWO DAYS LATER, AND THEY HAVE TWO TOTALLY DIFFERENT MEANINGS HERE . 

ITS JUST A NIGHTMARE!

A once happy well adjusted school, full of spirit , now acts like they are at a funeral. Teachers and Students don't want to be here , spirits are crushed .Now he want a police officer in our school! She would of made a better prison warden , because she is turning our school into one. The girls in the front office always laugh and joke and smile and now just say what they have to and look down. It just so sad .

I would like to thank you all for helping us and telling us things we are also seeing . Its just a travesty what is happening to our school, and yours.

I will be talking to a woman at the Mass Dept of ED for our district tomorrow .

Again thank you all especially you David . Your support is amazing and Templeton is so lucky to have you.