I don't foresee a recovery .

 What is disturbing about this is the kids and teachers really liked Barry Bacom, who by every accord was a perfect fit for PVRS. However, instead of listening to the kids and teachers, Miller chose Jean Bacon, never a principle and clearly not PVRS material but what should we expect from Miller who is also not PVRS material .
Sadly I see PVRS losing more students to tech (theirs some Karma for you , the old Templeton Principal runs tech who left to get away from her ) and sadly more loss of school choice. The spiral has begun and unless the SC steps up , I don't foresee a recovery unless parents,teachers, tax payers and the Select Board  step in.
Remember  for Miller its anything but about the kids.

 

Pioneer community meets principal hopefuls

By LISA SPEAR
Recorder Staff

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

• NORTHFIELD MA

NORTHFIELD — Community members gathered to listen to three principal candidates make their cases for why they are the best person for the job at Pioneer Valley Regional School.
School administrators, parents, teachers and students asked questions and gave the candidates a chance to share their education philosophies, their personal stories and their ideas for the future of the school. Each candidate was given an hour to speak at the public forum.
Barry Bacom“This is a school that is really poised to do some great things,” said Barry Bacom, the first finalist to speak. He currently works as the principal at Dean Tech High School in Holyoke. His career started as a teacher in a rural part of Texas, near Austin.
He started out as a social studies teacher, where he taught a variety of subjects over the course of five years, including world history, United States history, psychology and sociology. After about 15 years living and working in the Austin, Texas, area he moved with his wife three years ago to New England. He enjoys real maple syrup and learning about western Massachusetts’s rich history.
If given the opportunity to serve as principal of Pioneer, he said, his first line of action would be to get to know the school and the students. He would have group conversations with the students to talk about their values and vision for the school. After gathering information from the students, would he then take action on issues of importance to the community.

He said he wants to create an environment where students feel heard, where collaboration is encouraged, and where students have a say in their curriculum. “I would be really honored to be the principal here. I can tell that there is an investment in education here,” he said.
One of his first goals would be to work with the curriculum coordinator to increase the number of electives and AP courses.
“I hope that my legacy as a school leader is one of sustainability,” he said “…If I get hit by lightning, the school will keep going the next day.”
He also promises to be a visible and accessible part of the community. He said he would work to create an environment to prepare young adults for life beyond high school, while creating an atmosphere of trust and responsibility.
Part of his plan would be to identify student’s academic or social problems and build in support within the school day for remediation and for acceleration. “Every students gets what they need, not every student gets the same,” he said.
He said the culture and the energy at Pioneer is what prompted him to apply for the job as principal. “I was really impressed. I am really excited to have the potential to be a leader here,” he said.
According to information from the Pioneer district, Bacom graduated from Abilene Christian University in Texas with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education. He also has a master’s degree from the University of Texas with a major in education administration
Jean Bacon
A third candidate, Jean Bacon, said she would work with the community to identify goals. She promises to amp up academic rigor by introducing more advanced courses. She said she will work with the school to identify goals.
“Where do you want to be in five years as a school? What challenges do you want in your education?” she said at the forum.
Bacon, a resident of North Bennington, Vt., has worked in education since 1999. She founded Community Works Research and Development, a consulting firm the PVRS District says provides research and program development services to public school systems and community-based organizations that serve youth. Bacon later became director of 21st Century Programs at North Adams Public Schools.
She also worked as the administrator of teaching and learning in that public school system.
Bacon graduated from Wesleyan University with a degree in psychology. She earned a master’s in sociology and a doctorate from the University of Chicago. She also has a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies from Castleton State College, with a major in educational leadership.
She said she likes to visit classrooms to see what students are learning and what teachers are teaching. “I’m very out and about in the schools that I work in,” she said.
She promises to work with students to pinpoint their needs. “I think that the teacher and parents that work with me find that I am very open,” she said.
The core values of the school, specifically getting students ready for careers and college, is what drew her to Pioneer. She also said she appreciates that the faculty have time to meet and collaborate every week. “I like that it’s a small school. I like to be able to know the school and the families,” she said.
Robin WhitneyRobin Whitney, the second candidate to present, said her first goal would be to get to know everyone at the school.
“A school is not just a pile of data and statistics. What truly makes a school? The people,” she said.
Whitney would like to establish mutual goals with teachers, parents and students. One of her first lines of action would be to establish a series of weekly and monthly newsletters to increase the flow of communication between the school and families.
She said that she would be a very hands-on principal, visiting classrooms throughout the school day and working individually with teachers.
As principal, she would also visit the cafeteria and go to school sports games to get to know the students.
“The kids will know that I am supportive of them, they will know that I am a part of them,” she said. “The kids will know I am friendly; I am very supportive of them.”
She said she would build mutual trust and respect with faculty members by giving them the opportunity to be part of the decision-making process and give feedback. “Trust and respect is something that we will work on together,” she said.
If selected to be the next principal, she would like to meet with each class individually and would like to start coming to faculty meetings right away to start building goals.
She said that she was drawn to Pioneer because of the small size of the study body, which fosters a community environment. “I want to be somewhere where I can really make a difference,” she said.
Whitney has a bachelor’s in education from Westfield State College and a master’s in education from Antioch University New England.
She stared her career in public education in 2000 as a behavioral specialist at Jaffrey Rindge Cooperative School District in New Hampshire.
After owning The Robin’s Nest Preschool and Kindergarten for 11 years she went on to Conant High School in Jaffrey, N.H., where she served as assistant principal, interim special education director, and behavior specialist. She was also assistant principal at ConVal Regional High School and principal at North Brookfield Junior-Senior High School and Lloyd G. Blanchard Middle School, both in Massachusetts.