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Adams Advertising Community Development Director Post Again

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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ADAMS, Mass. — The town will restart its search for a new community development director after the individual selected backed out of the position.
 
Town Administrator Jay Green said last week that the finalist candidate, to be ratified by the Selectmen, had informed the town that he was withdrawing his name for "personal reasons."  
 
"At this point, we are going to re-advertise the position and assess our options from there," Green said. "This is about finding the right person – the right fit – for our community, so we are not going to arbitrarily rush the process or settle."
 
Green announced at a Selectmen's meeting on Jan. 6 that after finalist interviews, he had hired a new head for the Community Development Department. He planned to bring the name forth at the board's next regularly scheduled meeting to ratify the hiring.
 
But as of last week, the candidate had pulled his name from consideration.
 
Longtime Director of Community Development Donna Cesan has retired from the position she had held for more than 19 years.
 
Green said the town had 17 applicants from all over the country. The six strongest candidates with the most relevant experience were interviewed. This was narrowed down to four and then to a final two.
 
Green said he was disappointed that the candidate withdrew but not disappointed with the quality of candidates or the hiring process. 
 
The town was undergoing a police chief search at the same time, and he noted it was a difficult time of year to hire.   
 
"We performed interviews during the most stressful time of year – just before the holidays – and as COVID-19 infections began to rise nationwide simultaneously with a nationwide police chief search," Green said. "This prohibited any in-person interviews, so it has been a challenge to hire two critical department heads in the middle of a health pandemic that prohibits travel and meeting in person."
 
He added that people are interested in working in Adams, but it is still difficult to hire in the Berkshires, especially during the current health crisis.
 
"Adams is attracting candidates from around the country; people want to move here, but there is always a risk in hiring someone from outside of the region and taking on that kind of a move in the middle of a health pandemic and with some economic instability in certain job sectors for spouses makes it even more challenging," Green said. "It's just the reality of the job market right now."
 
The Community Development Department will not be left totally vacated, and the town budgeted funds to retain Cesan in some capacity to utilize her institutional knowledge and help close out projects.  
 
"Donna Cesan remains on staff as a consultant and we are able to keep things moving forward based on priority," Green said. 
 
Green said the town will try again and advertise the position in the very near future.

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Hoosac Valley High School is Moving and Shaking

There have been some major shifts within the Hoosac Valley Regional School District recently, all of which have focused on enhancing the student experience to make it a place where ALL students can find their path.
 
In 2023, Hoosac Valley High School was designated an Innovation Pathway School by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and has since restructured the Program of Studies, utilized creative scheduling, and expanded internship opportunities. Part of this transformation includes participating in a "Portrait of a Graduate" cohort alongside four other Berkshire County schools to determine a collective vision for student success, in partnership with the BARR Foundation.
 
The Innovation Pathways at HVHS are designed to give students coursework and experience in a specific high-demand industry, such as technology, engineering, healthcare, or life sciences. Currently, Biomedical Science & Healthcare and Environmental Studies have received official state IP designation. In addition to the IP designated pathways, HVHS offers programs in Engineering & Technology, Business & Entrepreneurship, Arts & Entertainment, Education, and Sports Medicine. The result is that students have an opportunity for a transformative experience – enabling them to build essential skills, gain awareness of future career opportunities, and make informed choices about post-secondary education in promising fields.
 
Principal Colleen Byrd notes, "What makes our program special is that entry into the Pathway of your choice allows a student to access Advanced Placement and dual enrollment college courses, as well as internships in the community to set them up for success after high school."
 
The Portrait of a Graduate initiative consists of a team of Hoosac educators and students who exemplify the essential skills, practices, and beliefs that define learning experiences across the district. They work to outline the competencies, values, skills, and knowledge that define our vision for student success – keeping in mind that not every student's pathway will look the same. The District's goal is to ensure that all students graduate as responsible people, prepared individuals, lifelong learners, global citizens, critical thinkers, and thoughtful communicators.
 
Another recent change district-wide in grades K-12 is the "Crew" culture. Teachers and students now have time each day to create positive connections and build authentic relationships with one another. Through Responsive Classroom at the elementary school and Crew at the middle and high schools, students and staff gather for 30 minutes each day to engage in meaningful experiences rooted in mutual and shared interests. 
The Crew block is a prioritized structure that allows staff to support all students socially, emotionally, and academically – anchoring them and promoting the Portrait of a Graduate competencies. Crew takes many forms at the high school, such as gardening, bird watching, yoga, and sports talk with visits to college games.
 
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