Police Chief Michael Wynn marches in the procession to Durant Park in June. The chief says he is committed to working with community groups to build a more equitable society. PITTSFIELD, Mass. Pittsfield in 2020 addressed social issues such as police reform, inclusivity, and domestic violence, along with a worldwide pandemic. In June, following weeks of worldwide protests over the deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Ky., at the hands of police, Pittsfield began to look at the Police Department’s use of force policy and saw a number of rallies and protests against police violence.
Liz Lafond, a consultant on superintendent searches for the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, laid out a timeline the newly formed search committee on Thursday. The committee will be finalizing questions for prospective candidates in January and, sometime around Feb. 7, review applicants and decide who they want to interview. This is aimed to only take one meeting but can be spread out over two meetings if necessary. When finalists are selected, the chairman will present them to the full School Committee in early March. Lafond highlighted that keeping the identity of applicants private is extremely important, as they often don t notify current employers that they are seeking employment elsewhere unless they are a finalist.