Schools of Western MA

[willdufauve]

Wheelmann, I was responding to one of the posters who is an African-American woman.

Sunderland, Conway, Whately and Deerfield do have decent elementary schools but the latter three are towns with virtually no minority population.

Sunderland is a fairly progressive town, with a substantial transient/student base, more like Amherst.

Conway is definitely a very redneck town. You can't get much more Polish than Deerfield and it's a Polish population that's hostile to minorities moving there.

I wouldn't suggest that any black person move to Deerfield, Whately or Conway, or any of Franklin County as a newcomer, except for Ashfield and Shelburne. It would be a hard row to hoe.

[wheelmannn]

I believe the question was about schools in western mass from a family in new jersey. I did not see anything about them being african american but it wouldn't matter if it did because my comments would be the same. I am very proud of where I live and I work my butt off to be here. I am Polish and not hostile towards anyone. I don't think i've ever once read about racial problems around here. I've shown you data on some of the things that you've said that were wrong about franklin county. I'm sorry if you don't like it here and you have every right not to but if are going to continously bash where I live please back it up with some facts. There are a number of places in franklin county i wouldn't like to live but there are also some great places here too and the same goes for hampshire county. So please dont lump the whole county together as one. thank you

[willdufauve]

Then you should read the Greenfield Recorder and the Springfield Union News more often to get a clue about all the racial and anti-semitic crimes in Franklin County over the past year. In the Recorder it was front page news for much of last spring and summer.

And, what town in Franklin County do you live in that's so accepting of people of color?

[wheelmannn]

The anti semitic spray painting was in greenfield. While that disturbs me quite a bit it was not all over franklin county as you suggest. Show me one article on whately, conway, sunderland or deerfield on this, I can't find one anywhere. I still don't understand how you brought race into this subject I can't find it mentioned anywhere except by you. You have every right to say what you want but when you spew hatred just back it up by some kind of facts. I live in one of the four towns I have mentioned here.

[willdufauve]

wheelmann, I wasn't talking to you. I was responding to the post by the African-American woman. That's why I brought race into it.

I said that Sunderland is a more progressive town, culturally like Amherst, and with a good elementary school.

That leaves Deerfield, Conway and Whately. In those towns how many residents are black or Hispanic? Virtually none. In those 3 towns, how many police, fire fighters, DPW employees, select board members, teachers, library staff, shop clerks,etc are black or Hispanic? None?

So, to me, to the black woman I was responding to, and to any other non-white family concerned about their child's viablilty in the schools, it may be important to know that the 3 towns, one of which you live in, have virtually zero diversity in their public school systems and their town life.

That's why, in a time when we have a black Governor, and a black Presidential candidate, I recommend to avoid Franklin County - because I live here and know what to expect from people in these communities..

[it mom]

Both my children are in Greenfield Schools. I think the school is good I haven't seen any bullying at their school . They both attend Federal Street School one is in special ed (2nd grade) and the other one is in first grade and both are smart.
The teachers are good and caring and are teaching them a lot and they are learning so much more than I did .

[Jmchiba]

I grew up in Westfield and would highly reccomend the town.