Thursday, August 15, 2013

Bridging the Gap

At the moment this post was published, the Register-Star online poll showed that those who are fine with locating an alternative learning program at 364 Warren Street had a .2 percent lead over those who think it should be someplace else. On Monday, August 19--seven days before Daniel Kent expects the building will have its certificate of occupancy and sixteen days before the school year begins--there is to be a panel discussion that seems intent on making everybody feel fine about the plan. 

 According to HCSD superintendent Maria Suttmeier, the spirit in which the invitation is being extended to the public is "a better understanding of the vision of both the school district and community." Common Council president Don Moore will moderate the panel discussion, which concludes with a forty-minute public forum.

 Here's the agenda:
  • 6:00–6:05  Opening Remarks (Moderator Donald Moore, Common Council President)
  • 6:05-6:15  Hudson/Catskill Partnership Vision (Superintendent Maria Suttmeier, Hudson City Schools, and Superintendent Kathleen Farrell, Catskill Central Schools)
  • 6:15-6:35  The Bridge ALP (Superintendent Bruce Potter, Berkshire Union Free Schools)
  • 6:35-6:45  The Bridge Financials (Superintendent Bruce Potter, Berkshire Union Free Schools, and School Business Executive Robert Yusko, Hudson City Schools)
  • 6:45-7:30  Public Forum (Moderator Donald Moore)
The meeting takes place, as so many other memorable meetings have, at the Central Firehouse, 77 North Seventh Street in Hudson.
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7 comments:

  1. windleAugust 15, 2013 at 8:43 PM

    I'm done with this issue (fried is more like it) but when you sit there and listen to this presentation , as I did the other night, remember the facts they are giving you are from Bridge program at the Berkshire school in Canaan.
    The Canaan school is surrounded by 500 acres and has a swimming pool, athletic fields and many other opportunities for students to go outside between classes and blow off some steam.
    What is planned for Hudson might be a good program but it is a terrible location for the students and it is THE STUDENTS we should be thinking about not the $$$$$$$
    Windle (again)

    Well ok I'm not actually done, I just can't make the meeting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VincentAugust 15, 2013 at 9:32 PM

      The Berkshire School in Canaan is plagued with boys running away and breaking into surrounding homes - at least thats the way it was when i lived up that way.

      Delete
  2. windleAugust 15, 2013 at 10:41 PM

    I'm more concerned with what we are doing to the students than what they might do to us !

    ReplyDelete
  3. michael lesawyerAugust 15, 2013 at 11:03 PM

    ....get busted with drugs in Greene County... get sentenced to drug court... drug court sends you to twin county recovery at 5th and State St....meet other drug addicts... make a new connection in Hudson... come to Hudson to buy drugs. ....and you don't see the dealers standing on the corner these days, cell phones have changed the game...

    eliminate the buyers from Greene and the Hudson dealers get hurt badly.

    High time for Hudson to distance itself from anything Twin. Columbia County is big enough now to pull up it's own pants, but, we need their homeless to go into our "shelter", into our "clinic", into our "school", or is it Galvan's "school"?

    one more thing, TEAR DOWN THE FENCE, i remember the area well before the fence, was quite a little "oasis". perhaps a reader has an old photo she'd like to share.

    ReplyDelete
  4. tmdonofrioAugust 16, 2013 at 7:06 AM

    How many of the future students for the ALP presently live in the City of Hudson & the Village of Catskill?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Carole OsterinkAugust 16, 2013 at 8:58 AM

      According to Bruce Potter, they are supposed to all be from Hudson and Catskill--students that currently are part of the day program at Berkshire.

      Delete
  5. BarbAugust 16, 2013 at 8:51 AM

    As I stated in a previous post: Reviewing the Berkshire Union Free School District site, I found that their models of alternative education warrant much more than the Old Register Star building can accommodate. Their educational classes include: agri-science, culinary, trades, and auto mechanics and a gymnasium, weight room, swimming pool and athletic fields are listed as IMPORTANT FEATURES. It seems that the Hudson-Catskill alternative educational program DOES NOT include most of the elements that the Berkshire Union Free School District's philosophy is based on. How does that make sense?
    Also, in my experience, when a school administrator tells you that the decision was made with the students in mind, .... The students are farthest from their mind when the decision was made.

    ReplyDelete

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