Tuesday, January 29, 2019

Not There Yet

According to an article that appeared in NewYorkUpstate.com recently, about 12.8 percent of adults over the age of 18 in the United States do not have a high school diploma or its equivalent, but the percentages are higher in upstate New York: "The 50 towns with the most high school dropouts in Upstate NY, ranked." Yes, Hudson made the list, ranking No. 34, with 16.5 percent of adults over 18 not having finished high school. Of the 5,238 people over 18 living in Hudson, 865 do not have a high school education.

Relevant to this, the Hudson City School District, in its Destination Graduation to Occupation campaign, has set as a goal for the 2018-2019 school year a 85 percent or higher graduation rate for all students in the district.
COPYRIGHT 2019 CAROLE OSTERINK

26 comments:

  1. Donate to School Life Media https://www.schoollifemedia.org/hudson-sln-pilot-1/ We helped last year's 5th-grade class increase their state ELA test scores by 11 points! Plenty of other good stuff happening.

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    1. peter --

      i looked up your project and believe you are taking the direct approach. i applaud your efforts and i think all of us should donate something to this good cause. the students need it.

      it seems your program is doing more than the standard curriculum. Its not money -- its taking care and investing the time. its a ray of light in an otherwise bleak educational landscape.

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    2. Thanks J Kay. This journalism curriculum is the result of my 20 years as an education journalist, started when I wrote a story on education guru E.D. Hirsch (Cultural Literacy) for Life Mag in 1989! I am so thankful that Maria Suttmeier, Superintedent, and Mark Brenneman, MC Smith Elementary School, invited me to start the program in Hudson. It has been a wonderful trip so far and I'd be glad to tell you more about it if you contact me at peter@schoollifemedia.org

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  2. I moved to Hudson from downstate in 2010.....if the graduation rate of my former school district was anywhere as low as Hudson's, the Board of Educ. and the superintendent would have been given the boot years ago. But in Hudson, it seems like the same cast of characters has been in control for years with mediocre results to show for their tenure.
    Just as disturbing, the article claims that nearly 40% of the residents of Hudson live in poverty. There is surely a connection between poverty and failure to graduate. It is time for new blood in the Hudson City Schools administration.

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    1. Brendan, we have the new blood, with Maria Suttmeier and a new crew of principals, and they are beginning to make a difference. Yes, there is a connection between poverty and educational attainment, but we now have plenty of research to show how and why that connection can be severed. That's what our Junior Journalism program is doing, as are dozens of other new new initiatives in the HCSD. The progress is not instant, but the improvements under Ms. Suttmeier are remarkable; we need to keep moving forward.

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  3. #34 Hudson, city (Columbia County)
    Population age 18+: 5,238
    Somehow the hamlet of Stottville received it's own distinctive ranking, but in school district numbers it should be combined with Hudson City as it is the same school. Shameful expenses for poor results.
    High school unfinished: 865 (16.5%)
    In poverty: 39.6%
    +
    #8 Stottville, hamlet (Columbia County)
    Population age 18+: 1,127
    High school unfinished: 275 (24.4%)
    In poverty: 32.1%
    --
    Hudson City School District Finances
    Total Expenses
    $42,494,000
    Expenses Per Student
    $22,833/ student
    (Natl. $12,239)

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    1. The good news, I can tell you, is that the expenses per student for HCSD has changed very little in the last 15 years, but the academic achievements have.

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  4. I will say it,because no one else will. Those who do not graduate H / S are either to stupid, to lazey.

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    1. This is the funniest thing I ever read on Gossips! Not sure if it's intentional or not (hope it's not -- funny and ironic is even better!).

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    2. Yes, it's funny, but it also reflects a wrong-headed belief about education: that kids are responsible for their failure. In fact, I remember a brief conversation with Mr. Friedman in the Hudson Train Station, when he avowed that the poor performance of Hudson students was caused by parents. Talking about ironic: we started our public education system BECAUSE of lousy parents. Hudson is finally beginning to shoulder the public responsibility for educating kids, where it should be.

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  5. The rate of people without a HS diploma should not be confused with the dropout/failure rate of the HCSD. I think it means all of the adults in the city of whatever age over 18. While the rate of adults without a HS diploma is high, the 40% poverty rate is more shocking to me. All the new money and investment in Hudson property and the Warren street businesses seems not to have spread any wealth and median income has actually decreased over the last few years. https://datausa.io/profile/geo/hudson-ny/#economy

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  6. Sadly, you are mistaken, the new budget is 48 million. Your figures are out of date. the average cost per student is closer to 26 k per person.

    http://www.hudsoncityschooldistrict.com/budget/2018-19/18-19-Hudson-BUDGET-BOOK.pdf

    the citizens of Hudson should want better performance for this huge expense -- perhaps wasted dollars.

    Would less spending produce better results ? it is counter intuitive but probably correct.

    money has nothing to do with it. in fact, the funds cover up the sins of mediocrity -- or worse.

    young parents have to ask alot of questions and demand more.

    as a footnote, Albany Academy, one of the oldest private schools in America, charges less per student than Hudson and is one of the best schools around.

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    1. Perhaps we should simply send all the Hudson students to Albany Academy -- less costly, better outcomes . . ..

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    2. There is an undeniable connection between poverty (including the poverty of low education attainment), but describing that connection is very difficult. My mentor in this business, E.D. Hirsch, draws the most powerful connection and gives us the most hope for closing this gap.

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  7. Hudson school system is masterful at getting more and more money from the taxpayer. Voter turnout for school tax increase is appalling. Until more people bother to show up at the polls the school tax will continue to increase every year.

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    1. That's a patent fallacy: when the voters denied the District the budget it proposed several years ago, it simply enacted its contingency budget -- which was the same as the voter-denied budget. There's no democracy here, just welfare (for the employees, not the students).

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    2. Yes, but it's a law that was promoted passed by teacher unions.

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  8. "median income has actually decreased over the last few years"

    It's what happens when developers of Hudson's population decline remove the middle class buffer from the equation.

    The "filthy rich" Gentry begin to rub up against the indigenous "dirt poor."

    Hudson was once a place where middle class families could thrive.

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  9. ALP was funded, in part, by a $400,000 grant obtained by Senator Saland. The program had a graduation rate of 88%. The students took the Regents exams at the high school and they were graded by high school teacher, not ALP teachers.
    Then the district fell into a financial crunch and cut the program. Jack Howe and Maria Suttmeier took the $400,000 grant from the state and put it into the general fund. The kids were promised all kinds of support when they returned to the regular high school. unfortunately, the promised support never materialized and the 88% graduation rate became a 95% drop out rate. I was perconally told by Jack Howe that he didn't want to hear "I told you so." Well Jack, "I told you so."

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    1. Having been on the Board during those rather strange days, I will say that Tom is right about what Jack and some confederates on the Board at the time time did. But I can also tell you that Ms. Suttmeier had nothing to do with it.

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  10. I personally watched Ms. Suttmeier meet with the ALP students and promise additional supports for their reentry into the main stream high school. Ms. Suttmeier, as Assistant Superintendent, supported the ALP program to be cut as well. Later the next year, she personally admitted that she was naive about the students chances for success after cutting the program.

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    1. Tom, I can tell you that Ms. Suttmeier was NOT involved in the deicisionmaking about the ALP. I was a supporter of the ALP and argued strenuously to keep it, but was outvoted by my colleagues. The Board made the decision and Ms. Suttmeier was doing what she was supposed to do: carry out its wishes.

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  11. My comments regarding this topic are based on what was said by the person in question at ALP meetings with students on ALP grounds. The promises were made, but not kept. You can base your comments on your personal observations, allow me to post mine.

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  12. Tom, obviously you can say what you want--and you are--all I'm saying is that the chronology is important here and it makes a big difference when all this stuff happened since ALP went from "great" program to "chopping block" within weeks and it had nothing to do with Ms. Suttmeier. The Board and the Budget did in the ALP, not the Asst. Supt. It didn't help that the Board decided to find a new position for you by making you a co-principal at the high school. Some of us on the board warned that that would be a disaster -- and it was.... But that was a long time ago and the District has come a long way since then, under Ms. Suttmeier's leadership. --p

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  13. You are a staunch proponent of Ms. Suttmemier which is certainly your right. But if the job being done is so wonderful, why are you the only one?

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