Dr. Lisamarie Spindler's resignation as superintendent of the Hudson City School District was announced in April and is effective on June 30. Today, she released this "op-ed," reporting on the state of the school district after her seventeen months as superintendent.
The Hudson City School District has grown significantly from the district it was just a few months ago. When circumstances called for change, we quickly and responsively took action–and the result is a safer, more secure environment for our students, faculty, staff and visitors.
Upsetting evidence depicting inappropriate and intolerable actions forced a District review of protocols. We immediately implemented a multi-layered approach to address the issue from all angles. Initiatives have included training our staff in defusing crises, exploring security and software programs that help avoid and react to urgent situations, and social-emotional measures to deepen our students’ understanding and appreciation of each other to create an atmosphere of acceptance and camaraderie.
But those initiatives–highlights of about 20 overall–have been just the start.
We also hired an additional security guard for our Junior/Senior High School, are implementing software that will enable us to lock down all school doors from cellular devices, and are training staff in the STOPit Solutions anonymous alert system that will allow a student, teacher or anyone else to report improper and concerning behavior without fear of retaliation. In addition, we have taken advantage of every opportunity to participate in training sessions and discussions of school safety, security and related matters, and a team from Questar III provided Citizen Response to Active Shooter Event (CRASE) training at a recent joint faculty meeting for all three of our schools.
The formulation of these strategies included partnering with our community for input. Among our first steps was to hold focus groups with 138 students, teachers, staff, parents and community members, facilitated by Specialized Education Services, Inc. We also formed a Safety and Advisory Committee that has been addressing many issues, such as ways to improve communication and understanding among teachers, students, parents and the community, strategies to strengthen the focus on restorative practices and many more.
(Despite the concerns that some people hold, restorative practices do not replace warranted punitive consequences. They help students profoundly understand the impact their actions have on others.)
Many of our activities reward and reinforce positive behaviors. The Hudson High School Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS) Program recently held a pizza luncheon for more than 120 students nominated by their teachers for upholding PBIS pillars of being respectful, responsible and safe.
Montgomery C. Smith Elementary School just celebrated its Third Trimester’s Principal Awards, where scholars in grades 3-5 recognized at any point during the 2022-23 school year will be rewarded with tickets to a Tri-City ValleyCats game on June 14. Scholars in grades K-2 who were recognized at any point as a Principal’s Award winner during the 2022-23 school year will attend a carnival event at Montgomery C. Smith Elementary School on June 16.
To build deeper relationships with local organizations and school community members, the continuation and growth of the Hudson Saturday Academy took place on April 1 and saw many smiles from our youth and adults alike. I’m excited for the next Hudson Saturday Academy on June 24 from 8:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., which will highlight a petting zoo and over a dozen local organizations and businesses ready to engage with scholars and their parents/guardians.
We will continue exploring more strategies and steps to enact. Our overall approach has transformed the climate in our schools to one in which teachers, staff and students fully understand the priority we place on safety and security, as well as their responsibility to foster an atmosphere of mutual respect.
A safe and secure school is vital to a positive educational experience in which scholars look forward to experiencing the joy of exploration and discovery, and to grow into responsible, productive community members and global citizens.
By sharpening this focus, we will continue to demonstrate that #HudsonHasHeart.
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