Fired SPED teacher blasts charter school

By Linda CarmanPrint Story | Email Story
WILLIAMSTOWN — The Berkshire Arts and Technology Charter School is once more the focus of controversy, as a former special education teacher plans to file a formal grievance against the principal and has blasted the school for failing to meet the needs of its special education students. But administrators and a group of special education parents and guardians disputed the charges by former SPED teacher Stacey Elin Rossi and sprang to the school’s defense this week. While no one was willing to use the phrase, the inference was that the charges by amounted to sour grapes. BArT Director Julia Bowen, while saying she could not comment on personnel matters, defended the school and said, “I do not believe her claims are valid.” Rossi, in a letter dated Nov. 3 to the State Ethics Commission, said her dismissal in October was “wrongful,” and that she planned to pursue a complaint against BArT Principal Michelle Close, whom she has charged with unprofessional and unethical conduct and “slipshod leadership.” Rossi, a master’s degree candidate at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and now an educational consultant based in Pittsfield, said the BArT administration neglected the needs of special education students, openly questioned the need to service those students – who constitute 30 percent of the school’s enrollment – and failed to learn, or abide by, state regulations for educating special needs students. “A year or so back, public school administrators and other local educators expressed concern about two major issues: That people from outside the area would be directing the school and that provisions for the students, particularly in special education, might be inadequate,” Rossi wrote in a letter to the editors of local newspapers. “Both of these, prophetically, were major problems at BArT when I was there, and, most likely, continue to be. I say this because these factors are systemic to BArT and endemic to the nature of charter schools generally.” In her letter to Brett Wingard of the Ethics Commission, a copy of which she provided to The Advocate, Rossi wrote, “My dismissal from BArT was wrongful but more importantly ... Ms. Close’s general conduct was highly unethical and unprofessional.” Bowen, speaking by telephone Wednesday, maintained that the school is serving its special needs students well. “I feel like we’re doing a lot to serve these students, as we do for all students,” she said. Rossi, also speaking by telephone, said “The principal let me go for really no reason except that I’m a highly ethical person who didn’t like what was going on there.” BArT, she said, is “absolutely not geared to be accommodating to the SPED population.” “It was seen as a real burden to try to accommodate these kids,” she said. “I was even silenced when I talked about it. My questions were ignored. I was disgusted, really.” A former staffer who did not want to be identified but who was familiar with the situation, agreed with Rossi’s allegations. But Bowen said Rossi’s dismissal was not wrongful and that it took place within the 90-day probationary period during which employees can be let go for any reason. Bowen defended the school’s approach to, and programs for, children with special needs, noting that a recent state Department of Education evaluation found the school in compliance. “We are a brand new school, but we are delivering the services we need to be delivering,” Bowen said. “After visiting our program, they found that we are doing what we are supposed to be doing. We’ve been in constant contact with them ... They are comfortable with where we are.” She added, “We do provide the services that are required in the IEPs [individual education plans].” I work closely with the principal, and the principal does not question the need to service special needs students.” Efforts to reach Department of Education officials for comment this week were unsuccessful. Bowen said the school has a consultant, Norm Carmel, a special education administrator in the public schools for 30 years, who works five to 10 hours a week for BArT. She stressed that the school is, contrary to Rossi’s allegations, equipped to handle special education students as the school promised and as mandated by the state. Several parents or guardians of special needs students leapt to the school’s defense, describing in glowing terms their children’s progress and the school’s caring and effective approach. Ronald Gallagher of Williamstown, whose son attends BArT, said, “Our experience has been extremely positive despite the challenges the school has faced, having to work with the limitations of not having their own facility. [The school is temporarily based at Mount Greylock Regional High School while awaiting the renovations of its quarters at One Commercial Place in Adams.]” “My son has flourished in a number of ways due to the exceptional teaching staff they have in place,” Gallagher said. “One of the reasons we had an interest in having him go there was the personalized attention. He is especially interested in the visual arts, and he has done work there that has far exceeded any expectations.” He added, “They have done a wonderful job evaluating his special needs and working to find ways that can be adapted to those needs. We have been pleasantly surprised by just how positive an experience it has been for us.” Marianne Riello of Adams has two grandchildren, ages 14 and 13, at BArT, and praised the school’s special education program. “Michelle [Close] has been great,” Riello said. “She’s gone out of her way to do things.” Faith Piaggi of North Adams, another parent of a child with special needs, said she has also had a positive experience. “I definitely think BArT has met my child’s needs,” she said. “I feel they followed through with the learning environment they proposed to have. I feel they definitely have done everything they can to help here.” She added, “They give her support when that’s what she needs, and extra help. Anything she has, they hop on it right away — they don’t wait for me to ask. I’m very, very happy. She’s had a very good year this year.” Nancy Hart of Williamstown, a guardian ad litem, appointed by juvenile court for children in need or in state Department of Social Services custody, said BArT is “beyond anything I’ve ever seen.” “I have been overwhelmed with the care and trust and support the staff of the school has given to these children,” Hart said, referring to the two special needs children she is guardian for. “They [school officials] go to meetings with me in Pittsfield. They go out of their way, way beyond anything I’ve ever seen to support and nurture both children, who are in different classes at different levels.” And, said Hart, the school “communicates very well with all the people involved.” “For the most part, the foster parents are very, very happy with BArt services to the children,” she said. Rossi expressed regret, as did her former colleague, that the school has, in her opinion, not fulfilled its potential and its original mission. “It had a very ambitious mission,” Rossi said. “If it had been executed, it could be a great place.” She added, “I think the school did not want to be accommodating to SPED kids. There was a lot of lip service, but anyone who questions the way things are done and stands up for the rights of parents and students is considered out of line.” Close, the principal, said, “I think we have worked very hard. I have worked very hard to meet special needs of students. We just had our Department of Education review and we got nothing but great responses. I feel very confident that we’re meeting the needs of our special needs students.” She added, “We love our special needs students as we do our other students, and we work to serve the needs of everyone. As we hire a new SPED teacher and take the candidates around to the classrooms, we never mention that these are SPED students and these are regular students. Full inclusion has worked quite nicely. Every person counts.”
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Williams College Gives All-Clear After 'Suspicious' Package Found

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff

Williamstown Fire and Northern Berkshire EMS stood by at the scene during the investigation of a suspicious package at Williams College's Wachenheim Science Center on Thursday.
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — A suspicious package that caused the evacuation of Williams College's Wachenheim Science Center on Thursday has been determined to be not dangerous. 
 
A post on the college website at 4 p.m. stated the "device was determined not to be a bomb or other danger."
 
The college said all buildings, residences and streets are reopened that no further updates will be made. 
 
In a message to the Williams community, President Maud Mandel said she could not speak to some particulars. 
 
"There are limits on what I can share due to the fact that police are continuing to investigate and some facts simply are not known to us," she wrote.
 
Mandel said a package was delivered just after noon to Wachenheim and the person who opened it immediately called campus safety, who called both the Williamstown Police and Fire Departments. 
 
"The nature and purpose of its contents were unclear and concerning to the people involved," said the president. "As a precaution, we promptly evacuated all academic buildings, residences and streets within a set perimeter. Given that we could not rule out the possibility that the contents were dangerous, the state bomb squad was called in. 
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