Parent Center News

Superintendent Update from School Committee

Baer Tierkel — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 11:46:20 -0500

March 9, 2010

Dear Members of the Amherst, Pelham, Leverett, and Shutesbury Public Schools Community,

On March 8, 2010, at 8:35 pm, Dr. Alberto Rodriguez, Tracy Farnham (Chair of the School Committee of the Union between Amherst and Pelham School Districts), and I came to the decision to bring to a close Dr. Rodriguez's term as Superintendent of Schools for those districts, effective immediately. The parties issued a joint statement declaring: "After the committees' and Dr. Rodriguez's receipt of the survey results from employees, particularly the feedback from a majority of senior administrative personnel who report to Dr. Rodriguez, the committees and Dr. Rodriguez agreed that it was in the best interest of all parties for Dr. Rodriguez to leave his position as Superintendent of the districts."

Maria Geryk, Assistant Superintendent of Student Services, serves as Acting Superintendent until further notice. Ms. Geryk is experienced in bringing stability to the districts, having served as Interim Superintendent for the latter portion of the 2008-2009 school year. The School Committees and the Leadership Team of Administrators and Principals are committed to facilitating a smooth transition plan. School committee chairs will meet with the Leadership Team today for an open dialogue which will inform the School Committees' discussion of transition plans at our meeting tonight (see below).

The administrative staff, directors, principals, assistant principals, and department heads form the corps of district professionals who have been actively engaged all year in building budgets, and implementing a myriad of initiatives for achieving the 2009-2010 District Goals (http://www.arps.org/node/1082). They are committed to their tasks, to the community, and to assuring that there be no disruption to the work of our dedicated teachers who continue to educate the kids every day.

The Regional and Union #26 School Committees will hold a regularly scheduled joint meeting tonight, March 9th, at 6:30 pm, in the Town Room, Amherst Town Hall. The meeting will be broadcast live on ACTV. An updated Agenda for the Meeting will be posted later today.

Farshid Hajir, Chair

Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee

Amherst Schools Superintendent Alberto Rodriguez Agrees to Leave

Baer Tierkel — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 11:41:49 -0500

By NICK GRABBE
Staff Writer
Daily Hampshire Gazette

http://www.gazettenet.com/2010/03/09/amherst-superintendent-agrees-leave

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

AMHERST - Alberto Rodriguez, whose eight months as superintendent of schools started and ended in controversy, is now gone because of negative feedback given to the School Committee by senior administrators.

The upheaval in the superintendent's position occurs just two weeks before Amherst voters go to the polls to decide the fate of a tax override, which will have a large impact on next year's school budget. It comes a week before teachers are scheduled to vote on a proposal to give up some salary increases provided to them by their union contract.

Rodriguez, who was informed of the comments from staff members Friday, was not in his office Monday morning. He came to the Regional Middle School Monday night and signed a joint statement with the chairmen of the Regional, Amherst and Union 26 School Committees.

It reads: "After the committees' and Dr. Rodriguez's receipt of the survey results from employees, particularly the feedback from a majority of senior administrative personnel who report to Dr. Rodriguez, the committees and Dr. Rodriguez agreed that it was in the best interests of all parties for Dr. Rodriguez to leave his position as superintendent of the districts."

Farshid Hajir, chairman of the Regional School Committee, declined to answer questions. It was unclear what the senior administrators said about Rodriguez, what financial arrangements were made, and who would be acting superintendent. The committee meets tonight at 6:30 at Town Hall.

Following a report in Monday's Gazette saying that lawyers for the School Committee were negotiating the terms of the superintendent's departure, Amherst citizens reacted to the surprising news.

Karen Zilberstein said she's worried about the lack of consistent leadership in the schools.

"We really need a superintendent who will bring people together in a constructive way," said Zilberstein, who has children in the elementary, middle and high schools.

Rodriguez is the fifth superintendent to lead the Amherst schools in barely more than a year. A year ago, Zilberstein said she was "outraged" by the School Committee process that led to his hiring. On Monday, she was worried about how the turmoil at the top will look to capable people considering whether they will respond to an advertisement that Amherst schools are hiring, such as for its vacant middle school principal post.

"There seems to be a divide in Amherst," she said. "Things get polarized in an unhelpful way. We're all closer to the middle. Parents, administrators and teachers want the same thing, but somehow the conversation goes awry."

Still a good choice

Elaine Brighty was finishing nine years on the School Committee a year ago when she voted in favor of hiring Rodriguez. She said she still thinks he was a good choice, adding that it was necessary to pay him a high salary to get him to come.

"Amherst is a very challenging, very demanding superintendency, and you have to pay people to do it," she said. "We're an academic community, very hands-on, very critical, with people who are certain they know the right way to do things and have no hesitancy in telling you."

Former Principal Michael Greenebaum said he was "not happy with some characteristics of Rodriguez that I saw as a tendency to authoritarianism." He agreed with the superintendent, though, on moving the sixth grade to the middle school, he said.

"It's hard to be a public figure in this environment," he said, citing the ability of residents to post anonymous and often cutting remarks on blogs.

Greenebaum, who led Mark's Meadow School from 1970 to 1991, said the School Committee should not use the same consultant who located Rodriguez a year ago.

"Maybe there are some people here who can do the job," he said. "I'd like a more modest position, with principals and school councils and parents and teachers having more responsibility."

Sharon Vardatira, the parent of a 10th-grader, said she is worried about the impact of the Rodriguez flap on the override March 23.

"I hope people can separate this situation from the override," she said. "I trust the School Committee is trying to do what's right for the town."

Eileen Marasco, the parent of a fourth-grader, said the school system is "closer to a crisis point," adding that "the toxic nature of the blogosphere is counterproductive to forward movement."

"True leadership from elected positions is accomplished not by a mark on a post of #I'm right' this many times," she said. "It's earned by building consensus, involving many voices, and it comes down to doing what's right, not who's right."

Stan Gawle, an override opponent, said Rodriguez "was making some changes that needed to be made. There seems to be a serious attempt for the first time to go after efficiencies in the use of our tax dollars in the schools."

Rodriguez called himself a "change agent."

"A guy who comes into a system and wants to make change is going to make enemies," Gawle said.

Bumpy tenure

Rodriguez was the fifth person to head the Amherst schools since Superintendent Jere Hochman left in the summer of 2008.

In the fall of 2008, consultant Jacqueline Roy told the School Committee that the pool of potential superintendents was thin that year. Her firm, which had recruited Hochman, was paid $39,050 to conduct focus groups on what Amherst wanted in a superintendent and to locate candidates.

A year ago, seven Regional School Committee members voted to offer the job to Rodriguez, who was a principal in Hialeah, Fla., but three of them said they didn't think he was a good fit for Amherst. Committee member Catherine Sanderson voted for another candidate.

His first controversy, over pay, started before Rodriguez even arrived. The committee offered to pay him $158,000 a year, plus $10,000 in housing and $5,000 in travel expenses. Hochman had received $134,583 a year.

Last September, Glenda Cresto resigned as middle school principal four days after classes started. In November, Rodriguez said he would ask faculty and staff to lead group recitations of the Pledge of Allegiance each morning, but backpedaled three days later after being advised of legal concerns.

In mid-February, he gave the School Committee a memo outlining his 40 days off between last Aug. 10 and this April 26, including nine days of future sick leave. He did not reveal until later that he had a medical condition that would require surgery in mid-April.

Amherst-Pelham releases school superintendent Alberto Rodriguez

Baer Tierkel — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:30:49 -0500

As reported by Diane Lederman, The Republican
March 08, 2010, 9:27PM
http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/03/amherst_releases_school_s...

AMHERST – After eight months as the Amherst Regional School superintendent Alberto Rodriguez is gone.

The Regional School Committee and the School Committees of Union 26 met in executive session Monday night and in a statement wrote that Rodriguez, Farshid Hajir, regional committee chairman, and Tracy Farnham, Union chairwoman, signed the agreement releasing Rodriguez from his contract.

According to a statement, after the committees and Rodriguez received “survey results from employees, particularly the feedback from a majority of senior administrative personnel who report to Dr. Rodriguez, the committees and Dr. Rodriguez agreed that it was in the best interest of all parties for Dr. Rodriguez to leave his position as superintendent of the districts.”

The agreement was signed and “is effective immediately.”

After releasing the statement the committees returned to executive session to continuing a discussion.

The committee, meanwhile, had been scheduled to publicly evaluate Rodriguez at its meeting Tuesday night in Town Hall.

Rodriguez, one of three finalists for the position, was appointed last March. The final vote was seven in favor of Rodriguez with one for hiring David P. Sklarz, superintendent in West Hartford, and another recommending a new search. A vote of five of the nine-member committee was needed to make an offer. The contract for Rodriguez was $158,000, plus a $15,000 housing and travel allowance.

He had been the principal of Westland Hialeah Senior High School in the Miami-Dade School District of Florida prior to coming to Amherst and his family still lives in Florida.

It is unclear what kind of financial settlement was agreed to. But in a statement earlier in the day, Hajir stated, that “if the Superintendent is not in the district for any length of time, there is a well-established protocol in place for Assistant Superintendent Maria Geryk to be in charge.”

Geryk was interim superintendent for four months just prior to Rodriguez taking over July 1. She took over for the husband and wife team of Alton G. Sprague and Helen L. Vivian, who had been the interim co-superintendents until Feb. 27 of last year, when they resigned for health reasons.

The school district is already short one administrator. Former Amherst Regional Middle School principal Glenda Cresto resigned her post just days after school began in the fall. She had been principal for one year. Since then Mark Jackson, high school principal, has been in overseeing both the middle and high schools.

Early in his tenure, the School Committee praised Rodriguez who within weeks of his hiring had commissioned an outside professional assessment of the state of the district.

He also hired a consultant to evaluate the middle school, a report that is slated to be presented at the committee’s meeting Tuesday.

Life

Baer Tierkel — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:30:54 -0500

Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.

The number one cause of suicide is untreated depression.
Much of this kind of suffering is unnecessary. Depression is treatable and as a result, suicide is preventable. Love yourself or a friend enough not to keep thoughts of suicide a secret. If you or a friend of yours is thinking of ending the pain by ending your own life, this is not a secret to keep. Talk to your family, friends or other special people in your life. They can help you find solutions to your problems and to see ways to cope with your pain without ending your life. Help is just a phone call away: 1.800.SUICIDE (784-2433)

Things to know about suicide:
• Suicide has ranked at the 3 rd leading cause of death for young people nationally

• There are three female attempts for every male attempt at suicide. However, males are four times as likely to die from their attempts

What to do if a friend or loved one is suicidal:

• Let that person know you are concerned about their well-being, and that you have observed certain clues that have made you think that they may want to hurt themselves. Ask them if they are depressed or suicidal.

• Listen to your friend, and keep in mind that you must stay calm. Your friend will more than likely be relived that someone noticed their pain, and cared enough to confront them and talk about it.

• Support your friend unconditionally. While you cannot make someone choose to live, and while you aren't responsible for their life, you can support them and show them that you care while giving them ideas about other choices.

• Remind this friend that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.

• Be honest with your friend and they will trust your input. Let them know you want to help them, even if it involves calling an adult or a hotline. Call them in front of your friend if necessary.

• Call 9-1-1 if you feel their suicide threat is immediate.

Cheap Skiing and Boarding!

Baer Tierkel — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:24:42 -0500

Mount Snow is having a couple of discounted ski days soon...
St. Patrick's Day March 17th - all lift tickets are $17!
Sunday March 21st, Youth Pay their Age - So your 15 year-old pays only $15 for a full day life ticket!

The Parent News is actually writing this missive from the lodge at Mount Snow and they just got 5 feet of snow over the past week and the hill is just full of awesome!

ARHS Athletics Monte Carlo Night!

Baer Tierkel — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:18:58 -0500

One of the most fun community events in Amherst! All proceeds go to support ARHS athletics, which is more and more being supported via fundraising rather than the school budget. Monte Carlo night raises tens of thousands of dollars for our local high school sports teams.

Get your tickets now for MONTE CARLO NIGHT! Saturday, March 13, at Valentine Hall on the Amherst College Campus. This adults only event is a fabulous chance to get out of the house, see your friends, gamble (with funny money), dance, and more. You are not required to dress formally, although some people do take the opportunity to put on the black tie and gown!
To find out more, and get your tickets, go here: http://www.amherstmontecarlo.com/

Meet the AEF Challenge

Baer Tierkel — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:07:40 -0500

The Amherst Education Foundation provides grants for programs in our local public schools. A local family had pledged a $5,000 donation if the AEF can raise $10,000 before March 15th!

Please help under funded programs in our schools by making your pledge today!

More information can be found at the Amherst Education Foundation website.

ARHS Re-Accreditation

Baer Tierkel — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:03:55 -0500

In 2012, ARHS is due for re-accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) http://cpss.neasc.org. The process begins
this year with the school community developing a list of our Learning Expectations for students and a statement of our Core Values and Beliefs. As part of this process, we reach out to students and the broader school community to solicit your thinking.

To help us gather data on the relation of our draft Learning Expectations to current practice, please log onto our NEASC Forum to submit your ideas:
http://blogs.arps.org/studentandcommunityforum

Thanks,
Annie Leonard

Meet the Candidates!

Baer Tierkel — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:48:19 -0500

TUESDAY March 23rd will be the Amherst town election. Just 17 days away.

In addition to voting on the Proposition 2 1/2 Override, there are candidates running for many town offices. There are several ways of learning more about the candidates.

Monday 3/8 7pm - ACTV's Student News and ARHS's student newspaper The Graphic are sponsoring the first-ever televised "Amherst School Committee Candidates Debate on Youth Issues" to be filmed on March 4th at 7:30pm at ACTV, and to be aired on ACTV Channel 12 at 7pm on March 8th.

Thursday 3/11 Noon - 1pm @ ARMS - The Family-School Parntership is hosting a Meet The School Committee Candidates Brown Bag Lunch at ARMS.

Thursday 3/11 7-9pm - League of Women Voters host the candidates for all town offices at ARMS.

Here is a list of candidates and issues:

Proposition 2 1/2 Override:

YES - http://voteyesforamherst.org
NO - http://nomoreoverrides.com

Amherst Select Board:
Alisa V. Brewer
James J. Wald

Amherst School Committee:
Kathleen Dequence Anderson
Ernest J. Dalkas
Richard Blake Hood
Vincent J. O'Connor
Robert A. Spence

Jones Library Trustee:
Emily G. Lewis
Kathleen Wang

Town Meeting Moderator: Harrison L. Gregg

Oliver Smith Will Elector: John W. Coull

All 10 precincts will be electing at least 8 Town Meeting Members to 3 year terms as well.

Romance Flamenco

Baer Tierkel — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:38:23 -0500

Ines Arrubla presents her latest program, ROMANCE FLAMENCO, a spectacular contemporary flamenco production.

Tino van der Sman - Flamenco Guitar (Seville)
Carlos Denia - Flamenco Singer (Barcelona)
Niko Langenhuijsen - Piano, Contrabass (Amsterdam)
Jo Sallins- Bass (Amherst)
Todd Roach - Percussion (Amherst)
Ines Arrubla - Flamenco Dance (Amherst)

Friday March 5 7:30pm at The Center for the Arts in Noho

Saturday March 6 7:30pm The Loft, 72 Cotton Mill Hill, Brattleboro

Sleeping Beauty Auditions! Monday!

Baer Tierkel — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:21:53 -0500

On March 8th a little red truck will roll into Amherst with everything needed to stage a full scale musical production. The only thing missing is....THE CAST!

That is where YOU come in. See how it is possible to audition, rehearse, and perform a musical in only ONE WEEK!

Approximately 50-60 age appropriate roles are available for local students Kindergarten through 12th grade.

No advance preparation is necessary.

Auditions for Sleeping Beauty:Monday March 8th4-6 pmARHS Cafeteria

Lunch with Principal Jackson & Simon Leutz - Today!

Baer Tierkel — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:41:10 -0500

Today! Lunch with Principal Jackson Friday Feb. 26th, 12-1pm

You are invited to a brown bag lunch and informal discussion for high school parent/ guardians with Principal Jackson this Friday in room 13 at ARHS.

This is a great opportunity to ask questions about the high school and meet other parents. Social Studies Department Head Simon Leutz will be on hand to answer questions about the social studies program. This event is sponsored by the the ARHS Parent Center (ARHS Parent/ Guardian Organization). Dessert and coffee will be provided. Hope to see you there!

College Scholarships!

Baer Tierkel — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:38:19 -0500

Seniors: The booklet of school based scholarships will be distributed today in B period classes on Friday, Feb. 26th.

Ask your kiddo if they picked up the booklet! Seniors are advised to look through it and apply for those for which you qualify.

A Year with Frog & Toad! This Weekend!

Baer Tierkel — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:25:19 -0500

The ARHS Muscial A Year with Frog and Toad

This weekend brings us the biggest ARHS performing arts event of the year!

Friday, February 26th at 7:30
Saturday, February 27th at 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Catch the awesome ARHS student actors this weekend at the ARHS Auditorium.

Sweet Sweet ARHS Music!

Baer Tierkel — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:15:37 -0500

Tuesday, March 2: ARHS Concert: Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band, 7:30 pm, ARHS Auditorium

Thurs, March 4 : ARHS Concert: Concert Choir, Philharmonia, 8th Grade Chorus, 7:30 PM, ARHS Auditorium

College Fair for 10th & 11th Graders

Baer Tierkel — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:09:38 -0500

Sophomores and Juniors: Check out prospective colleges at the national college fair sponsored by the National Association for College Admissions Counseling on Sunday, March 7 from noon to 4:00 at the Big E in W. Springfield.

Register at:
http://www.gotomyncf.com/NACACReg.asp?EID=81 Registration is not required but it will make things easier for you at the fair.

Prop 2 1/2 Override Information

Baer Tierkel — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:29:37 -0500

The TOWN ELECTION is Tuesday 3/23.

On the ballot is a Proposition 2 1/2 Override of $1.67m to support the schools, libraries, and town services. This amount equates to a property tax increase for the *average* home in Amherst of $264/year ($190/year after taxes).

There is a campaign in support of the override. You can go to their website for more information on the YES campaign and to support the override by getting a lawn sign (magically delivered straight to your home): http://voteyesforamherst.org

There is a campaign against the override. You can go to their website for more information on the NO campaign:
http://nomoreoverrides.org

Video Vanguards

Baer Tierkel — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:26:11 -0500

Do you know a student who might be interested in VIDEO, SOCIAL JUSTICE, AND COMMUNITY? Video Vanguards is a program for youth of color and allies to create socially conscious video. Join VV!

The program meets weekly at Hampshire College from 5-8 every Monpizza and transportation are provided. For more info. contact sasha@youthactioncoalition.org or call 413-253-2158 for Sasha or Hannah.

2010 Summer Opportunities Annual Fair

Baer Tierkel — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:19:09 -0500

The 7th annual 2010 Summer Opportunities Annual Fair will take place this Sunday, February 28 in the Reed Campus Center, on the Williston Northampton Campus in Easthampton, Massachusetts.

Representatives from more than 30 local, national and international summer opportunities programs will be available to talk with interested students and their families. This unique fair offers a wide range of programs that focus on academic enrichment, outdoor adventure, international home-stay, travel, internships, community service, camps, arts, sports and more for elementary, middle school and high school students.

The fair will be open to the public from 1pm – 3pm. Admission is free. In addition to the fair, there will be door prizes and two summer program panels for families at 12:30pm; Choosing the best program for your child ages 4-10 and Maximizing high school students’ summer experiences for college admission.

ARHS Course Registration for 2010-2011 Begins on Mon, Feb. 22nd

Kate Troast — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 22:25:15 -0500

For all current 9th, 10th and 11th grade students, course registration for School Year 2010 -2011 will begin on Monday, February 22, 2010. All families should receive a packet of information about course registration in the mail February 19 - 20. If for some reason you don’t receive it, please call 362-1714. All course registration documents will also be posted on the ARHS website.
http://www.arps.org/hs/Academics/Registration/