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The Westfield News Serving Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding Hilltowns
www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL. 85 NO. 145
See Langone, Page 3
— WILLIAM DRUMMOND
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TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2016
Meet the new principal of Westfield Technical Academy By AMY PORTER Correspondent WESTFIELD – On Monday morning, Joseph F. Langone, the newly hired principal of Westfield Technical Academy was spending his second day visiting the school. Although Langone doesn’t officially start until July 11, he is meeting teachers, administrators and students before the summer break, which began Monday at 11 a.m. For the past two years, Langone has been principal of JOSEPH F. Baird Middle LANGONE School in Ludlow. He was assistant principal at Roger L. Putnam VocationalTechnical Academy in Springfield for the previous four years, after teaching English there for six years. Although he is happy to be coming home to a vocational school, Langone believes that his two years as principal of the middle school will be helpful to his new position. “One of the very interesting things of having been a middle school principal, is being able to get a window into the particular needs and struggles that ninth graders bring into a school,” he said, adding that Ludlow was a wonderful community in terms of support of the schools, and wonderful students. Most of Langone’s experience has been in vocational education. Originally from Springfield, he was raised in Agawam, graduating from Cathedral High School. He received a bachelor’s degree from Assumption College, a master’s degree from Western New England College, and a certificate of advanced graduate studies and school administration from American International College. Following his studies, he taught adult education for the Massachusetts Career Development Institute, which he said was vocational in nature, and also worked on curriculum development while there. After eleven years at MCDI, Langone left to pursue a religious vocation, but returned to education in 2004 at Putnam where it was “off to the races,” he said. Soon afterwards he met his wife, and started a family in the Springfield area. He is excited about coming to the Westfield Technical Academy. He didn’t initially apply when the position was first posted, because he was in the middle of the transition to the PARCC exams in Ludlow, and his plate was full. When he saw the job reposted, he said he “couldn’t say no to throwing my hat in and taking a chance. It’s very much of a dream come true.” Langone is impressed with what outgoing principal Stefan Czaporowski has achieved at the school. He said that many of the strategies that were implemented in recent years were also familiar to him. One example he gave was the Saturday School Program. “At Putnam, as a teacher, I taught the Saturday School from the start,” Langone said. Then as assistant principal, he oversaw the robust program which focused on MCAS, and had an enrollment of 150-200 students. He said he is also familiar with Read 180, Systems 44 and ALEKS, all intervention programs that have been implemented in Westfield. “I got very excited to see that,” Langone said, noting that the interventions are an acknowledgement of the reality of needs in the classroom. “This is someplace I’d really like to be because they get it the way I knew it. I’m honored to support it and in time augment it,” he added. He said technical vocational schools are no longer what people thought they were 30 years ago when he was in school. He said they are now high performers, a nexus between college and the career readiness piece. Rather than being a place for students who might struggle in high school, he said, “by today’s standards, the shoe is very much on the other foot.”
“He, who will not reason, is a bigot; he, who cannot, is a fool; and he, who dares not, is a slave.”
School Committee debates WHS math graduation requirement The School Committee takes a last photo with Superintendent Dr. Suzanne Scallion at Monday's meeting. (Photo by Amy Porter)
School Committee expresses their gratitude to Dr. Suzanne Scallion By AMY PORTER Correspondent WESTFIELD – During his report towards the end of Monday’s School Committee meeting, Mayor Brian P. Sullivan said that on a very busy Thursday evening last week, he briefly attended a retirement party for Westfield Public School Superintendent Dr. Suzanne Scallion at Stanley Park. Since he had several other meetings that evening, Sullivan said he didn’t get a chance to read an official proclamation there, and proceeded to read it to the School Committee and Scallion. The proclamation stated that the City of Westfield extended its appreciation for Scallion’s 39 years in education, the last five in Westfield, and extended best wishes for her continued success. Sullivan then thanked her from “our kids, and staff, and community,” adding that someone behind her has big shoes to fill. He then gave the floor to other School Committee members. “I had the pleasure of attending,” said William Duval, referring to the goodbye party. He said there were speakers from every place that Scallion had worked, who all captured the person that he had come to know. “You were one of the top three reasons I wanted to be on the School Committee,” said Diane Mayhew. “In a short time, you were able to assess the city and see what
Mayor Brian P. Sullivan and retiring WPS Superintendent Dr. Suzanne Scallion following a presentation thanking her at the School Committee on Monday. (Photo by Amy Porter) needed to be done here.” “Thank you for all you’ve done. The Westfield Public Schools are in a better position. There are programs in place that will last,” said Cynthia Sullivan, adding, “It wasn’t always easy, but I think you’ve done some great work.” “Thank you for all the hard work. It was a system of schools, and now it’s a school system,” said Vice Chair Ramon Diaz, Jr., referring to the words in the recent school
See Math, Page 3
Net neutrality stretches to Western Mass., beyond
with business ready skills. Educators’ collaborating with corporations will allow the faculty to develop their curriculum to fit with a corporate partner. There’s always room for improvement, for more, for greater success. The financial sector is totally incredible, your options and your capacity for growth are endless. Policymakers often think of small business as the employment engine of the economy. But when it comes to job-creating power, it is not the size of the business that matters as much as it is the age. New and young companies are the primary source of job creation in the American economy. Not only that, but these firms also contribute to economic dynamism by injecting competition into markets and spurring innovation. “Training is vital for the employees of a company and the truth is that most of the employees of small to medium companies do not have growth
By DAN DESROCHERS Correspondent WASHINGTON—When it comes to the World Wide Web in Western Mass., the recent Federal Court decision to uphold net neutrality could mean that there is more than just a so-called “open internet.” Last week, the DC Circuit of Appeals sided with the FCC over several telecommunications companies and voted 2-1 in favor of maintaining net neutrality. Net neutrality is the idea that the Internet should be provided at the same bandwidth across any given provider and that those providers cannot charge more for higher speeds or premium service. “In some respects the argument can be made in this day and age the necessity for the internet has grown so much that it has become a lifeline,” Aaron Bean, project manager for Whip City Fiber, the fiber-optic Internet service from Westfield Gas and Electric, said. “It’s getting to the point where—I think I read in an article—the number one amenity that is being asked for in rental properties is the Internet,” Bean said. The decision may not change anything for consumers immediately, but going forward the Internet’s value to them could change, going from a luxury in the home to a utility, similar to heat, electricity and water. This means that Internet as a
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See Scallion, Page 3
Put your growth in focus By NORMAN HALLS Research shows that someone who builds his/her career by combining work with structured training will be beneficial throughout their years of employment. Courses related to particular job or future upgrades are important to a person in this economy. If you are working and haven’t taken any courses offered by your employer or paying for it yourself, you are missing out. Today, workers can take all kinds of courses through the local school system or community college. There are many types of training, at home with the computer or self study. Just take ONE course at a time. For years you could be employed by one company for 30 years. Those days are gone. Technology revolution is fast replacing human beings with machines in virtually every segment of business/industry in the global economy. In Australia and the United Kingdom, they have established communications between the business/industry and education to ensure students are equipped
By AMY PORTER Correspondent WESTFIELD – On Monday evening, the School Committee considered a recommendation from a joint meeting of the Curriculum & Instruction and Human Resources & Policy subcommittees to change the requirements for graduation at Westfield High School from three years of math to four years. Vice Chair Ramon Diaz, Jr. said there was a lot of discussion on this change in the sub-committee. “I am concerned that the amount of requirements will interfere with students taking electives,” Diaz said. He said guidance counselors should be recommending four years of math to students planning to attend a four-year college, but he didn’t believe it should be mandated for all. “When I first came on the School Committee, only two years of math were required. I thought that three years was a good compromise,” he said. According to a presentation to the joint subcommittee prepared by Director of Curriculum & Instruction Susan Dargie, the minimum admission requirement for 4-year Massachusetts public state
Southwick water use scrutinized By GREG FITZPATRICK Correspondent SOUTHWICK – The town of Southwick is now one step closer to renewing their Water Withdrawal Permit. The Southwick Board of Water Commissioners hosted a public hearing at the Town Hall Auditorium on Monday night. Department of Public Works Director Randy Brown was present for the meeting. The hearing was funded through a grant from the Mass. Dept. of Environmental Protection. The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission as well as Abt Associates were also present to help the public become aware of the Water Management Act through their findings. A key finding was the public water demand in town. Residential takes up the majority of the water demand at 73%. The high percentage is a factor that is a concern for the board.
The percentage came from an online survey in which 314 accounts in town responded, rounding out to 13% of Southwick’s population. The results were taken from Apr. 11 to May. 1. “Getting people to use water more effectively, I think will go a long towards improving stream water flows in Westfield River,” said Brown. The outdoor water use was important research to see how exactly residents use their water. About 40% of the accounts said they watered their lawns and 69% use water to wash their cars. The hope for improvement is there as 73% strongly or moderately support limiting lawn watering. Besides the residential impact, minimizing existing Patti Gambarini of the Pioneer impacts and mitigating future withdrawals were also Valley Planning Commission important findings during the presentation that PVPC is discussing her findings at the public hearing, June 20, See Water Use, Page 3 2016.