In Easthampton: A year of financial recovery, start of new high school

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

EASTHAMPTON - New Superintendent Nancy Follansbee said increased school funding will help reverse losses suffered last year at each of the city's public schools.

"We are really pleased that we are now able to put back some of the positions that were lost because of budget cuts last year," Follansbee said.

Follansbee, who joined the district in 1991 and most recently served as the system's director of curriculum for four years, was selected by School Committee members last year to take over as superintendent, replacing Deborah Carter.

In addition to two new full-time elementary school teachers, this year will see a paraprofessional in each of the system's full-day kindergarten classrooms, Follansbee said. "We have been able to hire all of our paraprofessionals back which means teachers will have more individual time with each student," Follansbee said. "This is something we are very excited about."

First-grade teacher Michaela Thibault and second-grade teacher Kimberly Gilbert will join the elementary school staff. Thibault, Follansbee said, is filling a vacancy left by a resignation, while Gilbert's second-grade teaching position was restored after being cut last year due to budget constraints.

Continued efforts to promote literacy among all elementary school students, Follansbee said, will remain a top priority.

At White Brook Middle School, Follansbee said, the Development Designs Program, a middle school version of the Responsive Classroom, will be expanded.

"We now have the program in all grade levels, five through eight, and it provides strategies that are designed to keep our students safe, responsible and engaged in learning," Follansbee said.

Also at White Brook, Linda Lindwall has been hired as the new fifth- and sixth-grade English, art and social studies teacher, filling a vacancy left by a retirement. Three new guidance counselors, Christina Davidson, Chad McGuire and Christine Soverow, will split time between Easthampton High School and White Brook.

At EHS, officials have appointed Melissa Earls as the new director of curriculum. Follansbee said the school will continue efforts to promote advanced placement courses.

"In 2008 we had 28 students enrolled in AP courses and last year we had 99. In 2008 we had 10 students register qualifying scores and last year we had 41," Follansbee said. "We are very pleased with those results and will continue working on encouraging these classes."

The high school was also awarded a 21st Century Community Learning Center grant to fund an after-school program. "What's great is we now have a grant for an after-school program at every single level of our public school system. These programs provide academic support as well as wellness learning," Follansbee said.

Other new hires at EHS include world language teacher Laurie Ferreira, who is filling a vacancy left by a retirement; biology teacher Andrew Best; English teacher Catherine Fryzel; and part-time drama teacher Amy Davis.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com