Company Notebook

Springfield College Awarded Grant for School Partnership
SPRINGFIELD — Springfield College was awarded an $867,000 grant from the Mass. Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to fund a strategic partnership with Springfield Public Schools (SPS) to increase the number of teachers who are fully prepared and dedicated to meeting the challenges faced in high-need Level 3 and 4 SPS schools. The S3 (‘S Cubed’) program is designed to increase the pool of effective teachers in the hard-to-staff subject and specialty areas of mathematics and moderate disabilities (special education). The S3 program will serve a cohort of 25 SPS teachers who already hold their preliminary license. Teachers selected for the cohort will complete the Springfield College-approved initial licensure program to become fully certified. Grant funds will cover the cost of tuition for 24 of the graduate credits needed to complete the state licensure program. Springfield College will offer the balance of the coursework required for the master’s degree at a special rate of tuition. This innovative program includes the delivery of coursework that enables the cohort members to immediately put their learning into practice. S3 includes a value-added support system that provides each teacher with extensive, robust, on-site coaching. Springfield College Education Department faculty members will deliver coursework in the schools and provide on-site coaching to cohort members. “I am excited about being involved in this project because it enables Springfield College to strengthen its longstanding partnership with Springfield Public Schools to create a model program that has the potential to produce effective mathematics and special-education teachers who are committed to, and successful at, increasing student learning and academic achievement in the district for years to come,” said Linda Davis-Delano, Springfield College’s director of educator preparation, in describing the program. In addition to fostering more effective student learning in these priority fields, S3 incorporates elements of the district’s Springfield Effective Educator Development System, or SEEDS. This includes meeting the needs of all students, engaging families and communities, and developing professional learning communities, where teachers work together to help students achieve. “Both organizations, Springfield College and Springfield Public Schools, are deeply committed to the development and retention of highly effective, fully licensed teachers in high priority content areas and recognize the potential of the S3 Program’s innovative delivery model to support this undertaking,” said Davis-Delano.

Smith & Wesson Wins Bid to Produce Handguns for LA Police
SPRINGFIELD — The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has selected Smith & Wesson’s M&P 9 pistol as its new department-issued duty handgun, the company announced recently. The contract is for five years. The LA County Sheriff’s Department is the second-largest law-enforcement agency in the country, with 9,000 sworn deputies and 8,000 professional staff members. It provides general-service law enforcement to 43 municipalities encompassing more than 3 million people. The department had been using the Beretta Model 92. According to the Smith & Wesson press release about the contract, the department picked S&W after “rigorous testing against a wide range of competitive products” and that “the M&P pistol delivered superior results in the areas of quality and reliability.” Besides the handguns, Smith & Wesson will provide professional expertise and training to officers and the department’s armorers charged with the maintenance and supply of the department’s firearms.

Zasco Productions to Provide Display Support for Events at Big E
CHICOPEE — KMJ Video, the exclusive video-production provider of the Big E, has chosen Zasco Productions LLC to provide large-format outdoor video displays on their behalf in the Xfinity Arena. The 17-day festival, which boasted more than 1.3 million attendees last year, will serve as the debut event for Zasco’s new high-resolution, highly versatile LED video display. The ‘big screens’ will be used to deliver KMJ’s video to fans at the festival. “This is one of the biggest events in New England, so it’s a natural home for such a big piece of display technology,” said Zasco President and Owner Michael Zaskey. “The Big E has given music fans a series of outstanding shows in the Xfinity Arena every year, but audiences are demanding bigger and better productions, so it’s exciting to be part of something that will really take the visual experience to an even higher level.” The lineup for 2013 boasts veteran acts like former Eagle Don Felder and country legend Kix Brooks. The large, open-air venue inside the festival has seating for more than 6,000. Large, vibrant LED displays will enhance the viewing experience and bring each spectator closer to the stars, said Zaskey. Last month, Zasco Productions announced the acquisition of an LED display system from Oracle LED Systems of Los Angeles. The Black Widow HD9 product is a high-resolution, high-brightness display that can be used to display stunning video or graphics in any environment. The display panels are the same type as those installed permanently at outdoor entertainment destinations in Las Vegas.