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Maggie Harrington-Esko speaking at the 2021 Pittsfield High graduation. She has filled several posts including vice principal on the school's administrative team.

Maggie Harrington-Esko Tapped as PHS Principal

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — After working in many different positions at Pittsfield High School for more than 16 years, Maggie Harrington-Esko has been tapped as the new principal.

She will replace Henry Duval, who is retiring in the fall after nearly 30 years in public education.

Esko began her career at the high school in September 2006 as a social studies teacher, during which she also acted as a teacher leader, mentor, and adviser.

After 11 years in the classroom, Esko was hired to the administrative team where she had multiple titles. Over the last five years, she has been dean of students, vice principal, assistant principal of teaching and learning, and interim principal.

"Maggie has proven to be a fair, supportive, and student-centered educator who always leads with an equity mindset," states a post on the Pittsfield Public Schools' Facebook page announcing Harrington-Esko's new role.



"Maggie has shown dedication to working collaboratively with families over her career and plans to continue to build the connection between school, families, and our community partners."

When Duval announced his retirement in February, Superintendent Joseph Curtis called for 8-12 members to serve on a screening committee to select two to three candidates for him and a committee to interview.

The panel was to conduct first-round interviews for the position in the following month.

The job description read: "PHS is looking for an adaptive and innovative educator to close the opportunity gap, empower educators and maximize learning for all students. Ideal applicants will have a proven track record in instructional leadership resulting in strong academic gains. Additionally, successful candidates will have demonstrated experience in diversity, equity, and inclusion practices including fostering a data-driven culturally responsive classroom culture, the use of restorative practices, and developing a foundation for caregiver and community engagement that brings all voices to the table."


Tags: PHS,   principal,   

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EPA Lays Out Draft Plan for PCB Remediation in Pittsfield

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

Ward 4 Councilor James Conant requested the meeting be held at Herberg Middle School as his ward will be most affected. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — U.S. The Environmental Protection Agency and General Electric have a preliminary plan to remediate polychlorinated biphenyls from the city's Rest of River stretch by 2032.

"We're going to implement the remedy, move on, and in five years we can be done with the majority of the issues in Pittsfield," Project Manager Dean Tagliaferro said during a hearing on Wednesday.

"The goal is to restore the (Housatonic) river, make the river an asset. Right now, it's a liability."

The PCB-polluted "Rest of River" stretches nearly 125 miles from the confluence of the East and West Branches of the river in Pittsfield to the end of Reach 16 just before Long Island Sound in Connecticut.  The city's five-mile reach, 5A, goes from the confluence to the wastewater treatment plant and includes river channels, banks, backwaters, and 325 acres of floodplains.

The event was held at Herberg Middle School, as Ward 4 Councilor James Conant wanted to ensure that the residents who will be most affected by the cleanup didn't have to travel far.

Conant emphasized that "nothing is set in actual stone" and it will not be solidified for many months.

In February 2020, the Rest of River settlement agreement that outlines the continued cleanup was signed by the U.S. EPA, GE, the state, the city of Pittsfield, the towns of Lenox, Lee, Stockbridge, Great Barrington, and Sheffield, and other interested parties.

Remediation has been in progress since the 1970s, including 27 cleanups. The remedy settled in 2020 includes the removal of one million cubic yards of contaminated sediment and floodplain soils, an 89 percent reduction of downstream transport of PCBs, an upland disposal facility located near Woods Pond (which has been contested by Southern Berkshire residents) as well as offsite disposal, and the removal of two dams.

The estimated cost is about $576 million and will take about 13 years to complete once construction begins.

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