Copyright berkshireeagle
To the editor: From 2014 through 2020, I held the honor of serving as a member of the Pittsfield School Committee alongside Kathy Yon and Dan Elias — two deeply dedicated, passionate and accountable advocates for the betterment of the children of our city. In our work together, we tackled many critical issues shaping our district and community: developing equitable operating budgets with finite resources, addressing the changing landscape of 21st century school curriculum, shaping the comprehensive vocational programming for the new Taconic High School and working to ensure that all children have the resources necessary at school and at home to succeed and pursue their dreams in life. These two individuals possess some of the most impressive credentials in education, public service and volunteerism in our community. A lifelong educator at heart, Kathy spent more than three decades as an teacher in the Pittsfield Public Schools, then has continued to give back to the children of Pittsfield, serving 12 years on the School Committee, including eight as chair. Dan has served on the School Committee for 30 years, now the longest tenured elected official in Pittsfield, and has given countless thousands of hours of his time volunteering as a coach for more than 100 youth sports teams in the region. The next two years present both vital challenges and opportunities for our school district. In addition to the most immediate need — the search for a permanent superintendent to lead our district — the School Committee also will need to address the ongoing sustainability of our current budget priorities, the mechanics of the current middle school restructuring proposal, and the development of the Crosby Elementary School project alongside the Massachusetts School Building Authority. Each of these tasks will require time, collaboration, and thinking outside of the box to solve and none possess an easy solution. As a lifelong citizen of Pittsfield, and also now as the proud dad of a Pittsfield Public School student, I am confident that Kathy and Dan will provide the experience, wisdom and energy needed to address these important issues and, most importantly, will steadfastly work to guide our district in the direction that will benefit children the most. Please join me in voting for Kathy Yon and Dan Elias for Pittsfield School Committee on Nov. 4. Joshua M. Cutler, Pittsfield
