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Superintendent of Schools Jonathan Lev, center, is retiring after 10 years leading the North Berkshire School Union.

North Berkshire School Union to Begin Search for Superintendent

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
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CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The North Berkshire School Union will be looking for a replacement for Superintendent of Schools Jonathan Lev. 
 
Lev, who has led the five-town school union for a decade, recently announced his retirement after 10 years with the district. 
 
He said last week that it was time to retire, noting he was now 67. 
 
The school union committee will meet on April 12 with Patricia Correira, a field director for the Massachusetts Association of School Committees. 
 
"She will present the process for the superintendent's search and go from there," he told the Clarksburg School Committee last week. "I've agreed to stay on until they find a replacement. ... 
 
"Obviously, I went through this 10 years ago and it's the same person, Patricia Correira, who is in charge of the search when I was hired. It seems like yesterday."
 
Lev's degrees from Syracuse (N.Y.) University were in social work but he'd also been a special education teacher before becoming an administrator. The North Adams native was director of special education for the school union when he was tapped as interim superintendent when John D. Barry left after nine years to lead the Southwick-Tolland Regional School District in 2008. He was hired for the post later that year after a search process. (Coincidentally, Correira also helped the school union during the hiring process that selected Barry.)
 
Lev said MASC will help the school union develop criteria for the post and in advertising, such as in Education Weekly, which goes out across the country. MASC can also help with initial screenings and recommendations for finalists. 
 
"I believe there are approximately 50 superintendent searches in Massachusetts this year," he said. "I've gotten many, many emails and pamphlets sent to me about different openings."
 
In addition to North Berkshire, the Mount Greylock and Adams-Cheshire regional school districts are both seeking superintendents and another eight are currently listed on the MASC site. Several posts were filled in late 2017, early 2018. Tom Scott, executive director of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, told WBUR last year that turnover in the state's 275 superintendent posts averages 55 to 65 annually
 
Lev said he would have stayed to see the completion of the Clarksburg School renovation project, but that proposal was shot down by voters last fall. 
 
In his letter to the school community announcing his retirement, Lev said it was his experiences with the students that motivated him, although being superintendent had made those contacts "more distant and sporadic." He expressed his gratitude to all the staff members from janitors to teachers to administrators he had worked with. 
 
"Working these past 10 years as the superintendent of the North Berkshire School Union, I have learned new skills and sharpened tools I hadn't used before," he wrote. "I have pushed myself to see different perspectives and problem solve in new ways. ...
 
"I promise to continue my commitment to education through my roles as a grandfather and community member, supporting your hard work in any way I can."

Tags: Clarksburg School,   search,   superintendent,   

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Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.
 
This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.
 
The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.
 
DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.
 
"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths. 
 
"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."
 
Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.
 
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