$1 MILLION$ ‘THERAPUTIC CLASSROOMS’ LATEST ATTEMPT OF JIV, PSD AT LEGAL EXTORTION
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VLENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, MONDAY MARCH 26, 2018) — Returning now to local issues, which is rather like stepping from a soothing bath into a North Korean sewage ditch, THE PLANET points to the latest ludicrous monetary request from the Pittsfield School Department. We refer to Supt. Jason “JIV” McCandless’ attempt to rob the public treasury of an additional cool million bucks. This time its for upgrades to the “therapeutic classroom.”
What on earth is the “therapeutic classroom?” you ask. Good question. The PSD defines using the kind of typical bureaucratic gobbledy-gook that uses lots of buck-fifty words but says nothing. In plain King’s, it is a designation for students so disruptive and so unwilling to learn that even the infinite varieties of and the tens of millions of dollars available for regular Special Education fail miserably. Some students come to public education so unsuited for the classroom that the cost-benefit equation tips toward dismissal. In other words, the expense in time, money, and personnel required for such unsuited children is not worth the benefit to the citizenry that must foot the bill.
Simply put, these aren’t “students” in any sense of the word. They are kids have no place in public education. Private school, here we come. What’s that? Can’t afford it? Then you should have been better parents or, not equipped for all eventualities of such an august yet austere blessing, not have taken on the responsibility.
THE PLANET must here point out that the $1 million will go to “teach” (translate: “baby sit”) a grand total of 50 unteachable kids. Do the math. It works out to $20,000 per student, per year, for negligible result. In a perfect world, of course, there’s money for such utopian dabbling. But the financial crisis in Pittsfield, despite the denial by city officials, simply precludes this type of economic odyssey. In fact, if you read between the lines of the PSD’s proposal, you can see that even they don’t expect the program to produce sufficiently good results, as they are consolidating all current “therapeutic classrooms” at the department’s elementary waste transfer center, an academic dumping grounds also known as Crosby School.
Deputy Supt. “Curly Joe DeRita” Curtis, who holds the six-figure office by virtue of a calculus that wouldn’t work if actual ability and performance was a requirement — you know, as it is in the Dreaded Private Sector — told The Pittsfield Gazette that “[t]hese students require a great amount of attention. We think this is crucially important.” Curly Joe is correct. This extra million is crucially important … but for whom? Answer: the kingdom builders in the PSD, an administrative gang from both management and union headed by the duo of JIV and his financial hatchet lady, Asst. Associate Deputy Auxiliary Provisional Supt. of Business and Finance Kristen Behneke.
And naturally, the ‘therapeutic classroom’ will add to the more than 1,200 employees now on the PSD payroll. Each classroom will be staffed by a “licensed content teacher,” a licensed special education teacher, and an “experienced paraprofessional.” And Jerry Mathers as The Beaver. In addition, a new administrator will be hired after the “usual nationwide search” to serve as a “director of champion.” Don’t even ask us what they mean by that ridiculous title. One can only hope this new director doesn’t get business cards.
Don’t ask for details or performance measurements if the school committee, mayor, and city council are foolish enough to approve this request. The best JIV can offer is that “[w]e need to inject more therapy into these therapeutic programs.” He thinks “we” should “inject more money” into every failing nook and each overpriced cranny of his corrupt department. “We,” he says. He means YOU, the bedraggled taxpayer who probably has no kids in the system.
Ah, well … Into each life, a little Pretty Polly must fall.
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“I don’t know about you, but the ‘therapeutic classroom has me reaching for the Bromo” — Sir Tiberius Fruitjuice.
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
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Is it true that the Mercer nary building is built on a swamp?
Having taught at the once Juvenile Resource Center of the PSD I know first hand of the waste of tax dollars to baby sit the kind of unteachable students you speak of…but the law is the law and in Massachusetts all students under the age of 21 must be educated.
This means that the students who do not want to learn are just
separated from the students that want to learn…thus not being a
total distraction to both good students and good teachers.
The trouble makers get a special education while the good students who want to learn and go onto college or good co-op professions are left to be achievers while the others learn to say
for the rest of their lives ” would you like fries with that ? “…and
yes to baby sit these under achievers takes money for teachers.
Go to the ASP classes on the third floor of PHS. Or talk to some students. You’ll hear rainbow filled stories of what happens daily in that program and the rest of the floor has to deal with it.
GOCO
You testimony is entered as People’s Exhibit AA-237. It’s important for citizens to know of the complete sham that is this sort of “special” “Special” Education hoodwink. THE PLANET agrees with another correspondent who suggest a legislative change from education being a “privilege” rather than a “right.”
Please, do I have to say it again? It’s for the Children.
and often we see that the insidious parasites totally destroy the host.
I would submit to you that the school system is largely a parasitic entity which is eating the city from the inside out
If you can control the queen however, you can mitigate the damage
but if the mayor and city council have neither the desire nor the will to control the queen the ability of the host to sustain itself becomes impossible and it dies a preventable death
dusty
Excellent consensus!!!
Spot on, Dan! It will be up to the City Council and Mayor to reel in the beast. Cut the PPSD budget from last year and let them figure out how to best use the funds they are given. For starters, close 1-2 elementary schools. There is no way, with half the population of the 80’s, that Pittsfield needs all 8 elementary schools open.
The Principal of Taconic is halfway out the door – I see he is in the running for Supt. of Mt. Greylock schools. Message to School Committee – get rid of the Promise Program. Many of the misbehaving h.s. kids need to be in prison!
So true Gigi. Pittsfield is so far past it’s glory days. Having 8 elementary schools is outrageous in a city this poor. If local politicians and school officials want to keep that many schools open then they need to create good paying “JOBS” that dreaded word that Progressives just can’t seem to wrap their heads around. Good paying jobs will stop the population drain from this area. Good paying jobs will make a dent in all of the poverty. Until that happens, Schools need to close.
FIXING THE ROADS is also mandatory or who in their right mind would want to come to this backwards city with its crumbling roadways.
Pittsfield is so far past its glory days…correction.
While you’re making corrections, it’s “backward city”.
GIGI
Thanks for the compliment. This budget may be the most important in city history It is as you say “time to reel in the beast.” We know it won’t be done by the coopted school committee. This duty falls to the mayor and the city council. The school department budget must be CUT. JIV must be told: “Here. This is your money. Figure it out. It you don’t, we will.” Then you start at the top, not with teachers. You start at the layer-upon-layer at the top that pulls down $75K to $130K per, plus bennies.”
All you need for these little brats is a class room with cement block walls and desks and chairs that are bolted to the floor. That room would also be a good place for the resource officer to have an office next door.
PAUL
Works for me.
Early April Fools Day joke?
CV
Yes. On taxpayers.
That would require another assistant.
We will never be able to afford basic necessities like repairing our roads properly if serious changes are not made by the huge glut on our city that is the school department. Laying off teachers is always the threat. It is dirty pool. We need to figure out a way to stand up to the department and cut their funding so that the cuts are made from where there is room. Salaries at the top are outrageously high. How is it that many make more than the mayor? More than police chief, more than the average person working their own tough job in this area? Many people work hard but do not get that kind of salary along with extended vacations and a pension that we all know can not be sustained.
Does anyone have the answer as to how this might actually be able to happen? Most like to complain but few if ever do we have an answer. It is out of my abilities to have one but if someone has it let’s get together and come up with the right arguement so that those in power can get behind it and make the changes we all know are needed. The unions have made it impossible it seems as they will lay off the lower paid and newer hires who make less money. Cuts need to be made higher up in the food chain.
Pothole
The problem is, the ones with the Power lock down on the solutions. They know it, we know it.
Thin the herd. Most of those teachers are dinosaurs and entitled democrat “progressive” activists.
I’ve never see a district so proud to push a one sided agenda in this state. Look at the social media posts of the VP of Learning or the school committee hack Cindy Taylor. The list is probably endless
Pothole, you nailed the problem on the head. How is it that in one generation the school Dept needs tons of paraprofessionals and everyone needs an assistant? It’s just plain foolishness! The PSD is stealing the city blind and with less than stellar results. Good grief
and in yesterdays Eagle there is a story where Deanna Ruffer brags about how she finagled $30 million dollars for restoring North street over the last 10 years. Sidewalks, benches, tree plantings and ornamental lightnings, oh my!
so if you are wondering why your car is bouncing all over the roads it might be because the special interests are gobbling up all the tax money and city hall is complicit in the back scratching give away of the tax payers hard earned money. It could be greed and selfishness but I can’t be sure…because it could just be ignorance and mismanagement.
And somebody bought the Shipton building? uh oh…do I hear the rumblings of more tax breaks for the rich??
How about the lightscapes? How is that affecting the taxpayers? This bs in this City.
McCandless want to give School committee something to cut and that will cover their ass. Superintendant is moving into the top 5 of all time irresponsible money handlers that this man can not connect to retirees living on 1600 a month….Eberwien,Amuso,Marchetti, dont give a dam about Seniors starving to death….I have no respect for Mccandless who makes 160k in a town fill with poverty
It’s the way liberals do things
The only way this is going to change is if the lawmakers change the state constitution.
Right now, education is a “right” and mandated by law. It needs to be changed to a “privilege”…that would allow these and all students that are incapable of functioning to be expelled.
Then the parents / guardians would have to deal with the problem they created. Would it create havoc? Absolutely, however, Massachusetts and other states can no longer support these high costs of educating these dysfunctional people.
I know this may sound harsh and cruel, but so is life.
ED
This does not sound harsh. Pragamatism in the face of corruption and irrationality is always sensible and sensitive.
It’s scary the control the PSD and School Comm. have over our city’s budget and it’s only getting worse.
Their demands are getting outrageous and our mayor and CC are too afraid to stand up and defend the poor beleaguered taxpayer.
I would like to see our elected officials for once have some back bone but I won’t hold my breath waiting.
The Advocate: Gaetani proposed a seven percent cut in all departments, instead,a tax and spend needlessly Mayor,and now City (seven) Council have gone over board to the extreme, expect JIV to get is Baby sitting increases. We will soon be the largest employer in Berkshire County.
Bill-The latest employment statistics I saw from last year show that the city of Pittsfield is the largest employer in Berkshire County, beating BHS for the top spot.
Gaetani called out on his PCTV gig dead skunk over on Pecks, it has since been removed. The man is good!
Public School Administrators use a funding formula to set their budget. What is the formula for Pittsfield Public Schools? What are the budget lines or where does the funding go? Are there too many bureaucrats? Do the teachers get paid too much? What is the cost per pupil ratio? How does it compare with other communities with similar demographics to Pittsfield?
It is not fair to pit senior citizens against public school students! It is a tactic used by opponents to funding public education.
On another note, I watched Stormy Daniels tell her story about her love affair with Donald Trump, who was married to his 3rd wife Melania at the time of their relationship. I was happy for Stormy Daniels for speaking the truth about Donald Trump!
– Jonathan Melle
Stormy Daniels is a pig as is our Evangelical supported whoremaster President,who was sitting v p-shaped on a bed while waiting for Daniels to powder up.
One notable difference is that Stormy is believable while the other person is a pathological liar.
No dusty, since when are porn stars believable. But she does have a great rack
She looked dick u Lou’s with those oversized trump watermelons.
She looks like dusty’s blow up doll.
You mean yours matt?
A little bit. But how would you know that?
just a good guess
The school buildings are killing the budgets,eliminate school buildings.Ernie Fortini cost pittsfield millions.and that started under Doyle.Community school coordinator at crosby school does not work all summer,he works another job while being paid by schools and runs a cash store there and hes the only one counting the cash…Superintendant needs to do something with him as hes nothing but trouble..paid 75k with 5 weeks vaca
In another five years, Stormy will look like the old bag that accused ScumP long ago. Anyway that’s what ScumP call her.
kids should be referred over to Police because the cream puffs In The schools don’t how to handle them, that way parents get mother involved. Gaetani stated that as Mayor, kids won’t learn send them to the cops. When they get to high school its to late to help.
Sell PHS and they will put 50 million in Condos there.Close Crosby because that needs a 3 million dollar roof and 4 million in boilers.There is mold in the eves at Crosby
Exactly, look what they did at rice silk mill. The new Yorkers can sit on the balcony and gawk at the peasants.
Watching the public works the consultant was asked if there was anything to be done to keep in compliance,and his answer was paint a tank. And this council of seven wanted to vote for this?
Close Crosby, level it, and put a police station there. Close Reid,close Herberg, convert PHS to junior high, put all high schoolers in Taconic, except the ones that need therapy. Cut half the superintendents’ staff and half his pay, eliminate the school committe – their useless anyway. Get rid of mayor, hire a city manager, and fix the holes in the road.
And Mr. Melle, It wasn’t an affair it was a one nighter, and you can see Stormy at the Madi Gra if you’re so inclined.
Last year apparently the city forgot to paint lines on the roads and this year, well, what’s the point?
betcha we be going to hear about how far the city went over its road/snow budget and so your taxes need to go up to compensate
A friend got into an accident at the end of Elm near Georges. Apparently there are supposed to be lines all the way past the PHS parking lot/former harrys dividing the lane
City didn’t do a thing. People still get hit daily. This town is a free for all driving wise
New school and OPEB tabs will be the death knell. We are now N A.
Trump,Ryan,McConnell all crazy wealth transfer power broker want to cap Medicaid for life with a coverage limit on human beings.This is another Idea they got from Germany years ago
Jesus you are nuts.
Tsc has too much Russian vodka and German beer.
Steven Dean is uninformed and not intellectually curious like all Trump sheep as they have put their faith in Trump most high and believe its just Fake legislation.Steve likes the sound of the piper.
Did u know stooge has been all over the world and Jon can’t stand luciforo?
Dean lucs hannity and don jigalow and can’t stand Matt?
The G Man has several peritons on the Council Agenda tonight. It will be a discussion,and the G Man seems to be actually interested in cutting the budget,the problem is the tax and spend Mayor has no intention to cut, so hopefully, the G-man,can guide the City Council a little bit and stop throwing away taxpayer money to overfunded budgets ( schools) N Y TIFS Cocanta-Covanta Boilers, California Rally Crowd Control, City Plowing private Condos.
Not a fan of the Pittsfield Public Schools. My wife realized early on, when our oldest was in 2nd grade, that he was spending most of his day playing computer games while the teacher was engaged with the slower learners. So we ended up pulling him out of the public schools & sent all of our kids to Berkshire Christian School. It was a financial sacrifice, and we scraped by, but well worth it. Kids are able to advance at their own pace, and the basics of reading, writing & arithmetic are drilled in. No social engineering experiments, just a strong focus on learning. I highly recommend it. The public high schools are discipline disasters, and a new shiny building isn’t going to change things. So parents – be vigilant – if your kids are attending public schools – get involved & make sure the administrators know what you expect. Make noise when problems occur.
To your reasoning…this is why most teachers, administrators and other school personnel have for years sent their children out of Pittsfield. They will deny this but will not let you see the actual figures but if you know any teacher he or she may confide to you that it is a well know fact. Consider the canary in the coal mine.
And who could blame them…they love their children and want the best for them.
Wow,your wife said they were doing social engineering of the kids .That never happened in Pittsfield or any other public school except where they still fly a confererate flag.
And that is the reality. Your child will get nothing from the current out of control school system. The same issue throughout the City is the same issue inside the Pittsfield School system. But yet the leadership can have the bold audacity to ask for more $$$$ for his failing ship.
Good post Lenny. I’m sure that by now you children know that the only truth is in the Good Book. What do they think of a man who would violate his vows, made before God, to be true to his wife (wives)?
A d lie to America as well.
I didn’t vote for Trump to be a pastor; I voted him in as President. He’s a sinner like the rest of us. If he were perfect, he’d be Jesus. How do you know if he violated his vows – were you there? Public figures often are targets for the unscrupulous. I like the job he’s doing as President, and this alleged affair happened before he held an elected position. Maybe he did break his vows – and perhaps he regrets that decision – who knows for sure but Trump.
Dusty reading your last sentence brought me to tears?JIV will get his million, count on that, to hell with roads
And that is the reality. Your child will get nothing from the current out of control school system. The same issue throughout the City is the same issue inside the Pittsfield School system. But yet the leadership can have the bold audacity to ask for more $$$$ for his failing ship.
Crosby is needed. Poor kids on April Lane won’t go to Williams School…they will be bused to Morningside or Crosby….only wealthy
kids go to Williams School. We bus poor schoolchildren who end up in Special Ed classes…only the rich kids survive in our school system. All the other kids are left behind.
Last I heard,each child has one brain.
If they’re lucky
I think many have bypassed the ludicrous goings on on the Toter and Water proposals and the cost thereof. Who in the state is more of an Advocate than Mr. Gaetani. We might of had our own little Big Dig if the four Councilors didn’t vote against the nonsense.
Pittsfield is a urban school district well mixed in great minorities but with great poverty.Children in Pittsfield get a fabulous education.If your afraid of Pittsfield minorities you choose out to lenox and dalton.They have some very secret problems I wont address.Pittsfield problem is one of consolidation out of the money sucking under used shit school buildings that are making us broke..Consolidate and educate.Taconic just dropped to Div 3 because of population loss.Most high schools Pittsfield size are1300 to 1700 students .We can not afford 2 high schools
I love when McCandless says we have great poverty in our student populations then ask that taxes be raised again for teachers who average 66k ina town full of houses tha wont sell until prices go lower
I like to read blogs, especially Planet Valenti, where someone recently wrote that I “cannot stand luciforo”. Why wouldn’t anyone not understand my reasons why my negative feelings against Nuciforo are strong. Since I met him during the Spring of 1996 when I was only 20-years-old, Nuciforo conspiratorially had people bully me on his behalf without Nuciforo leaving behind his own fingerprints/DNA. It took my years to realize what was going on, but over the years, I was able to put together the pieces of the puzzle.
Nuciforo and his bullying hench-people have caused me a lot of emotional pain and mental health suffering over most of my adult life. I feel like I was put in a disturbing episode of the “Twilight Zone”. Nuciforo manipulated me by putting my family and me in interpersonal conflicts and legal situations. Nuciforo had people spread vicious rumors against me based on the situations he manufactured. I was even told not to speak out about Nuciforo’s mean-spirited methods he used against me for years.
The following is a list of what Nuciforo did to me:
* Since I was 20 years old in the Spring of 1996, when I first met him, Nuciforo conspiratorially had people bully me on his behalf without leaving behind his own fingerprints/DNA
* During the Summer of 1996, I worked with a then young woman from Becket whose father was an environmental science professor at Berkshire Community College. The Becket woman flirted with me, while her father would verbally assaulted me, viciously pointed his finger at me, and openly threatened to physically assault me. At the end of the Summer of 1996, her father did all those violent and criminal things to me at a Pittsfield bank, where I left feeling threatened for my life. This was all done on Nuciforo’s behalf. Nuciforo’s family members worked at BCC back then. From 1996 through present time, not one of Nuciforo henchmen ever apologized to me.
* Nuciforo filed multiple “ethics” complaints against me dad, Bob Melle, who back in 1997, 1998, worked as an Assistant Chief Probation Officer for the commonwealth and was serving one term as a Berkshire County Commissioner. Nuciforo tried to ruin our family by trying to get my dad in legal trouble, which could have resulted in him losing his job(s), thereby losing his benefits, including the state pension he collects today. If Nuciforo had his way, my dad would be living in poverty and my family would have been financially ruined. During this time period, I was a first-year graduate student at U Mass Amherst, where Stan Rosenberg’s two legislative interns harassed me and enjoyed with schadenfreude my family’s possible demise in Massachusetts. As a side note, it is interesting to watch Stan Rosenberg’s current ethics investigation that forced him to step down as state Senate President. Oh, how the tables have turned!
* During the Spring and Summer of 1998, when I came home from my first year graduate program at U Mass Amherst, Nuciforo set up secretive plans by the Pittsfield Police Department to have me arrested by Nuciforo falsely alleging that I made “veiled threats” against him. Nuciforo, who was in daily communication with my dad back then, did not tell my dad what was happening. Nearly 20 years ago, Nuciforo tried to jail me when I was 22 years old going on 23 years old that Summer of 1998.
* During the Summer of 2005, Nuciforo had people, possibly Denis E. Guyer, who was a Dalton State Representative back then, spread vicious rumors against me to the people of the Pittsfield area connected to the state Democratic Party. Nuciforo’s network told people that all I “ever did was stalk a Jewish woman from Otis”, who was the Becket woman I worked with at a state park during the Summer of 1996. Nucifor’s network left out the fact that she was married during the Summer of 2002, among other facts about the situation Nuciforo put me in when I was a young man.
In closing, Nuciforo thinks he can live a life without consequences in Pittsfield politics because he is the dark, inbred Prince of Pittsfield. His late-father was a state Senator and Judge, his late-aunt was Pittsfield’s first woman Mayor and long-time BCC Professor, and his uncle was a Pittsfield State Representative. Nuciforo believes he can hurt people like my family and me without anyone being able to do anything about it. Well, I am doing something about it my speaking out against Nuciforo! And, I will always speak my good conscience as long as I live!
– Jonathan Melle
Stop being a p&ussy crybaby and get a job
You couldn’t work either if you had Luciforoitis.
You can’t believe anything Stone Face says anymore, she just doesn’t have a clue.
What good is a job if you don’t have job security? You have to be a Good Old Boy to make a living in Pittsfield! I had better odds winning the lottery jackpot than working for Pittsfield politics’ G.O.B.
Jon, what did you do with the degree?
I did not open a marijuana dispensary on Dalton Avenue in Pittsfield! I am not a Pittsfield/Boston Attorney who is openly breaking federal drug laws. I am not Luciforo!
Did Sarah Sanders look like Wednesday today or was it me?
I believe Mr Mele and we have very odd politicians who are millionares when its done given oppertunities to make wealth 99% of people never get a chance.They all kiss each other ring and yes they will destroy people who get in the way.They also never go away.St joe graduates run the scene now.
Thank you for believing me! It is too bad the G.O.B. is ran exclusively by St. Joe graduates instead of the people. I guess their sh/t doesn’t stink as its residues flows along the banks of the Housatonic River.
Which ones graduated from st joe?
run away with me Amanda Drane
Who could afford all thar gum that she chews?
Jonathan…An Irish politician would only say he was dropped as a baby…He’s doing the best he can and I can’t say enough about him
life is way too short to worry about it and if you do everyone will
just think of you as a grumpy old man in the end so try to just let it go.
run away with me Jon.
Is that Carmen fellow still around?
Tsc has too much Russian vodka and German beer.