To the Editor:

It's crazy to me that people in the community think that a new school alone will enhance our students' education. What about the teachers, the way the curriculum is written, or the students' drive to learn? How does a set of new walls and updated amenities, perhaps some additional, innovative services guarantee that our students will benefit directly from this project? Other than the fact that they may enjoy attending a new school, how does that school enhance students' willingness to learn, or teachers' teaching capabilities?

As a former program manager of a local teen center I can tell you first hand that there is a growing number of high school students who are placing less priority on their academic affairs. They actively report not feeling engaged at school, or are unsure of their next steps as they are not receiving the proper guidance. This to me, is a problem that stems from the curriculum (I am aware the state has a large say in the curriculum), or the inability of teachers to genuinely connect with their students.

I've been scanning much of the information relayed on both sides and to me, as a young man who has grown up in this community, it is obvious that this project benefits the "upper echelon" of North Adams. Those who can afford to pay the $270 increase over x amount of years and defend doing so in saying the quality of students' education will be enhanced.

It also benefits those whose property values would increase as a result of being located in the Greylock School neighborhood (which makes sense to me, though my property value isn't about to increase as a result of this new school being built. We will have three other schools in the area and a declining student population, as students and families look elsewhere for a quality educational experience).

I don't want to pay for, nor do I want my children to have to pay for a proposed solution to a problem that will inevitably solve nothing. The quality of education is not determined by broken ceiling tiles, or mold growing (though it was determined the Brayton school building was safe for students to be in), it is determined by the educators showing up to work everyday and students' willingness to learn. Clarksburg Elementary School students consistently outperform North Adams Public School students in a building whose structure is arguably equally as stable as North Adams schools' building structures. The reason being, the quality of the education in this building is determined by the staff and teachers who take the time to establish a genuine connection with the student body.

I second the idea of refocusing our resources as a community on replacing our sewage system and water pipes. My parents and I have been dealing with brown, rusty water for years on end, only to be told "our house is at the end of the line so that's where the rust builds up." The rust wouldn't build up if the pipes were maintained. Point being, there are larger problems at hand besides building a new school when we have three standing.

Hunter Harpin
North Adams, Mass.

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