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Mount Greylock Continues Teacher Talks Over Remote Learning

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Mount Greylock Regional School Committee met on Tuesday but did not have a resolution on two issues stemming from the school closure that entered its third week on Monday.
 
Districts statewide are closed through at least May 4 by order of the governor. Last week, the commissioner of education advised school officials to implement remote learning plans to continue students' education during the closure.
 
On Friday, Superintendent Kimberley Grady and other members of the administration sent an email to the district's families explaining plans for remote learning the PreK-12 district.
 
"We met this afternoon with the [teachers union] executive board and had a productive conversation about the ways in which we can transition to a more structured distance learning experience beginning the week of April 6," the letter read in part.
 
On Tuesday, the School Committee's Negotiations Subcommittee held an executive session to talk with the union, and a 4:45 p.m. special meeting of the full committee had agenda items to vote on memoranda of agreement between the district and its teachers and paraprofessionals.
 
But Regina DiLego of the Negotiations Subcommittee informed her colleagues that the discussions will need to continue.
 
After the meeting, Grady said that Tuesday's negotiations lasted an hour, and she characterized them as productive. The School Committee's subcommittee will meet again on Thursday.
 
In the meantime, the School Committee also needs to negotiate a contract adjustment with Dufour Tours, which provides bus transportation service to the district.
 
"We had a discussion today with the legal counsel for the district," School Committee member Jamie Art said. "He is going to do some follow-up review on the details of the federal stimulus package with an eye toward seeing how that will inform the renegotiation of the contracts with the bus company."
 
An agenda item to approve a bus contract also was deferred to a future meeting.
 
Grady told the committee that the administration continues to coordinate with town officials in Lanesborough and Williamstown and reached out to families with information about the instructional resources that currently are available on the district's website.
 
And Mount Greylock continues to provide lunches Monday through Friday to students and seniors in both its member towns, though that schedule will change next week.
 
"Starting next week, we will still do meals five days per week, but we'll only have deliveries and pickups on Monday, Wednesday and Friday," Grady said. "This way the administrative team who has been here since the beginning gets a little rest."
 
Meals for Monday and Tuesday will be delivered on Monday. Meals for Wednesday and Thursday will be delivered on Wednesday.
 
Grady again noted that any resident of Lanesborough or Williamstown who would like a meal under the grab-and-go program should contact the school  at 413-458-9582, Ext. 1195, or email lunches@mgrhs.org.

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Williamstown Charter Review Panel OKs Fix to Address 'Separation of Powers' Concern

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Charter Review Committee on Wednesday voted unanimously to endorse an amended version of the compliance provision it drafted to be added to the Town Charter.
 
The committee accepted language designed to meet concerns raised by the Planning Board about separation of powers under the charter.
 
The committee's original compliance language — Article 32 on the annual town meeting warrant — would have made the Select Board responsible for determining a remedy if any other town board or committee violated the charter.
 
The Planning Board objected to that notion, pointing out that it would give one elected body in town some authority over another.
 
On Wednesday, Charter Review Committee co-Chairs Andrew Hogeland and Jeffrey Johnson, both members of the Select Board, brought their colleagues amended language that, in essence, gives authority to enforce charter compliance by a board to its appointing authority.
 
For example, the Select Board would have authority to determine a remedy if, say, the Community Preservation Committee somehow violated the charter. And the voters, who elect the Planning Board, would have ultimate say if that body violates the charter.
 
In reality, the charter says very little about what town boards and committees — other than the Select Board — can or cannot do, and the powers of bodies like the Planning Board are regulated by state law.
 
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