The Pittsfield School Committee voted to adopt a districtwide strategic plan for 2024–2029 after an eight‑month community planning process led by consultant Jonathan Costa.

The plan centers on four strategic priorities intended to align curriculum, instruction and assessment with a Portrait of a Graduate and to shift teaching toward “durable” instruction — learning tasks that cannot be fully replaced by artificial intelligence. Jonathan Costa summarized the work and the committee approved the plan by voice vote.

Why it matters: Committee members and staff said the plan is intended to prepare students for “life, learning and work beyond school,” including the likely increasing presence of AI tools in workplaces. Adopting the five‑year plan commits the district to year‑by‑year implementation steps and to public reporting on indicators of success.

Costa told the committee his team asked: should schools prepare students for “the last challenge or the next one,” and argued that rapid advances in AI make durable skills — self‑directed learning, communication, critical thinking and adaptability — central to the district’s aims. He described the planning process as community-driven and said participants converted identified gaps into strategies and measurable indicators.

Superintendent Curtis and committee members asked how the plan would be sustained over time. Curtis said the intent is to embed the plan in hiring, professional development and the district improvement process, with annual reviews and adjustments. Committee members stressed the need for continuing public updates and for integrating the plan with teacher evaluation and building‑level professional development.

In follow-up questions, committee members pressed whether the district would teach students to use AI tools as well as to guard against misuse. Costa and Curtisas said curricula and micro‑credentials exist that introduce educators and students to AI; they said the district should teach both ethical use and practical skills so students have an advantage in future workplaces.

The committee adopted the plan after a motion to approve the strategic coherence document for 2024–2029; members voted in favor by voice vote, with no opposition.

The committee chair said annual reports and incremental targets will accompany the plan so the district can review progress and revise year‑by‑year goals.

The committee also received public comment at the start of the meeting that urged faster, broader investigations of recent allegations at Pittsfield High School; those comments were heard before the strategic plan presentation and were referenced by several committee members as part of the context for the district’s priorities.