Local News

For the Hampshire County Food Policy Council (HCFPC), community leadership is at the heart of their work.

Posted on Wednesday, January 5th, 2022 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: Kathryn Levesque, Collaborative for Educational Services
Date: 1/5/2022

The mission is to cultivate shared governance and a county-wide network that builds the power of community voice to make food policies more equitable, honor diverse cultures, and help local food economies to flourish. As a result, developing a new and very different approach to governance for the Council has been critically important work for… [Read More]

Staff shortages ‘adding a layer of stress’ at area school districts

Posted on Tuesday, December 7th, 2021 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: Julian Mendoza, Mary Byrne, Greenfield Recorder
Date: 12/6/2021
Link: Complete Article

Schools across the region are experiencing staffing shortages with more severity than in past years, creating an additional layer of stress as staff and administrators try fill the gaps. The situation is dire in some cases, said Pioneer Valley Regional School District interim Superintendent Patricia Kinsella, with staff members in her district working well outside… [Read More]

School officials: Pandemic has lingering impact on students’ mental health

Posted on Friday, October 29th, 2021 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: Mary Byrne, Greenfield Recorder
Date: 10/28/2021
Link: Complete Article

Despite the return to in-person learning this school year, education and health professionals say students are still dealing with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I think the hope was this school year would be ‘normal,’ and it’s not,” said Greenfield School Department Superintendent Christine DeBarge. “We’re dealing with the outcome of all of the… [Read More]

Rural Schools Roundtable emphasizes funding difficulties for area’s rural schools

Posted on Friday, September 24th, 2021 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: Chris Larabee, Greenfield Recorder
Date: 9/23/2021
Link: Complete Article

BUCKLAND — State legislators, school administrators and town officials convened at Mohawk Trail Regional School Thursday morning for a Rural Schools Roundtable to discuss funding challenges Pioneer Valley schools are facing as enrollment dwindles. Superintendents and school committees from the Mohawk Trail, Hampshire, Athol-Royalston, Erving Union 28 and Gill-Montague school districts highlighted the reduction of… [Read More]

Northfield Elementary named National Blue Ribbon School

Posted on Wednesday, September 22nd, 2021 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: Martha Maloney, Collaborative for Educational Services

Northfield Elementary School was one of 325 schools recognized by Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona as a 2021 National Blue Ribbon School. The award is based on a school’s overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. “This year’s cohort of honorees demonstrates what is possible when committed educators and school… [Read More]

Buckland-Shelburne Elementary School welcomes new vice principal

Posted on Tuesday, September 21st, 2021 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: Staff Report, Greenfield Recorder
Date: 9/21/2021
Link: Complete Article

When students at Buckland-Shelburne Elementary School arrived for the start of the academic year this month, a new face was there to greet them. New Vice Principal Joseph Moynihan took over for Hayley Gilmore, who was promoted to principal following the retirement of Joanne Giguere. Moynihan, a U.S. Navy veteran and Westfield resident, joined the… [Read More]

CES Executive Director Gazda on WHMP Afternoon Buzz podcast with Sheryl Stanton and Buz Eisenberg.

Posted on Monday, August 30th, 2021 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Collaborative for Educational Services Executive Director Todd Gazda joined Sheryl Stanton, Superintendent of Mohawk Trail/Hawlemont Regional School District, and Buz Eisenberg of WHMP for the Afternoon Buzz podcast on August 24th. You can listen to the podcast here at this link. Gazda and Stanton discussed the evolving academic year, school district budgets and ESSER funding… [Read More]

New Greenfield superintendent brings ‘commitment to supporting the whole child’

Posted on Tuesday, August 24th, 2021 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: Mary Byrne, Greenfield Recorder
Date: 8/22/2021
Link: Complete Article

GREENFIELD — Superintendent Christine DeBarge said she strives to be the kind of superintendent who walks down the hallways of Greenfield’s public schools and knows the names and faces of everyone she sees. “I’m definitely someone who wants to … eventually know the names of all my staff and students,” she said. “Greenfield is small… [Read More]

DeBarge picked to lead Greenfield schools

Posted on Thursday, July 15th, 2021 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: Mary Byrne, Greenfield Recorder
Date: 7/14/2021
Link: Complete Article

GREENFIELD — The School Committee voted unanimously Wednesday night in favor of entering into negotiations with Christine DeBarge to assume the role of superintendent of Greenfield Public Schools. DeBarge, who currently serves as superintendent of East Windsor Public Schools in Connecticut, was one of five finalists who were brought forth to the full committee by the Superintendent Search Committee, headed… [Read More]

New principals named locally

Posted on Thursday, July 15th, 2021 by Collaborative for Educational Services

Source: Jim Russell, Masslive
Date: 7/13/2021
Link: Complete Article

Michelle Hernandez will be the next principal at the K-6 Fort River Elementary School in town. Amherst Regional Superintendent Michael Morris, on Monday, confirmed her appointment. In a message to parents, caregivers and staff, he wrote that Hernandez “will begin her tenure on August 2, 2021, after completing her commitments to her current school.” She… [Read More]