Board president Mark DePace opened the discussion by addressing the question of why the board was again using HYA for the superintendent search when the results in the past have been less than satisfactory. DePace suggested that this time would be different because the board will be working with Kaweeda Adams, an HYA associate based in Albany. DePace said Adams was chosen "because of her familiarity with the district." (DePace consistently referred to her as "Dr. Adams," but her profile on the HYA website indicates she has a master's degree in education.)
DePace also said the search process this time would involve more community engagement. The first step in community engagement would be a survey, available in English, Spanish, and Bengali. There would also be focus groups--eight of them--one of which would involve the community at large. All of the decisions made by the board regarding the superintendent search are listed here.
During the discussion, board member Michael Zibella said there are "six to eight districts in the immediate area looking for a superintendent."
The video of last night's meeting can be found here. The discussion of the superintendent search begins around 1:55:37.
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Update: Mark DePace has informed Gossips that Kaweeda Adams earned a doctorate in education from Russell Sage College in October 2025.
Unfortunately "community engagement" is a diversion. First priority must be that the board must tell the community what it has done in the last five years to improve our students reading and math abilities and why exactly the last two superintendents were disasters. The board must accept responsibility for actions and inactions and show the community that it understands what a good education is.
ReplyDeleteMotion to rename the HCSD to HCED: "Hudson City Employment District".
ReplyDeleteThis would be more accurate because employment of school teachers and staff is guaranteed regardless of performance or student enrollment, but student outcomes (literacy, numeracy, academic or vocational preparedness) is not.
But how do you explain the lack of political will to do what works? Our program -- School Life News -- was in HCSD for almost ten years, with a Superintendent and a couple of principals who supported it and teachers who accepted it. It helped raise ELA scores by as much as 15 points one year. It's not rocket science. How did the HCSD BOE and administration become so opposed to doing what works? Ironically, it's just as easy -- as HCS above suggests -- to do what works as what doesn't work. It ain't money, it's political will and voters who care.
DeleteThe HCSD "vicious spiral" is officially reaching terminal velocity, and the math on why is simple because the incentives for change just aren't there.
DeleteBetween childless or retired residents with no skin in the game and high-agency parents opting out for private schools (why fight the fight and be accused of some -ism when you simply have standards), the status quo is currently maintained by a base of staff and retirees, and surrounding "Community - TM" whose benefits and status depend on keeping this HCSD boondoggle afloat.
*Of course there are individually phenomenal teachers and students doing incredible things, but 2+2 = 3 at HCSD.
At what point will all the "progressives" in Hudson realize that they are paying between $2k and $20k per year, whether through direct school taxes or those costs embedded in their rent, for a vastly inferior product that mostly harms those in need.
It is the ultimate "caring" charade. Year after year you see a few brave parents put up a fight but they are always outnumbered.
If local NGO leaders like Peter Frank channeled their genuine talent away from lobbying for the Hudson Youth Center's inexorable expansion, which frankly just duplicates HCSD and Kite’s Nest services (both tax funded), and instead fought for merit-driven hiring, merit testing, and discipline within the school district itself, we might actually see a turnaround.
NY's own stats show the "but Hudson has a higher poverty rate" excuse is flawed.
Taconic Hills and New Lebanon manage 91% and 100% graduation rates respectively with similar economically disadvantaged demographics... and no Hudson Youth Center, Kite's Nest, Promise Neighborhood, Spark of Hudson, etc. Hmmmmm... that is interesting.
Looking beyond our County, even McAllen ISD in Texas, Elizabeth Public Schools in NJ, and gasp, the IDEA Public School charters, serve statistically "poorer" populations while vastly outperforming HCSD in National Merit Scholars, top College admissions.
Some might say "but college is not everything"... well, HCSD graduates who want to go into most professional and vocational fields often have to take on loans for tertiary education, or rely on family savings.... in a country with an incredible volume of grants and scholarships... it literally pays to graduate more competitive students.
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The difference isn't the zip code or the family's bank account; it's the standards being set at the top, and the "progressives" who vote for it.
HCSD = terminally diseased zombie
ReplyDeleteDear Leonardo, only one part of HCSD deserves the "diseased zombie" description: the board. It keeps hiring incompetent superintendents and hiring the same consulting firm to pick the next superintendent.
ReplyDeleteRespectfully Not fair….HCS….saw first hand many dedicated teachers in action. Teachers who had to scream over unruly students from beginning bell to end bell.
ReplyDeleteThere is a faction that doesn’t care to learn and can’t understand the need for education.
There are many competent and dedicated teachers and many wonderful and smart kids. It's the Board of Education that is missing in action, afraid to take responsibility for its actions or do what is necessary to get our kids a good education (it could start by defining "a good education."
ReplyDeleteI worked for 25 years in a high needs/hard to staff NYC public elementary school that went from the top in a low performing district to a school with SURR (School Under Registration Review) status and back up again. So a couple of things: One year a team from the state came for a week to determine if our school should close. They looked at everything: classroom observation; went through the principal’s filing cabinets; examined the cafeteria kitchen; interviewed parents, teachers, students. They read their report to us at the end. One thing it said was that the majority of teachers didn’t know how to teach reading but there were a minority of teachers who were among the best they’d ever seen (for the record one of them told me I was in the latter category). And they cited the incompetence of the principal in pretty damning language. She left shortly after that. Then a new principal came in. She worked hard and smart and had connections that brought good people in and we were receiving extra funding (well, if you can call it extra when prior to the extra the only classrooms with books had teachers who bought them with their own money).
ReplyDeleteI remember at the time being astounded at how much difference a leader can make. The chaos in our school lessened more and more over time, our scores went, our parents got more involved, the staff was valued and their skills activated so many of us became leaders in different ways; writing grants, giving professional development, doing community outreach. It was such a lesson to me about the importance of leadership. Hudson, do not let this opportunity pass. Don’t let this be a ‘business as usual’ process.
In addition, as a former educator, I urge you to think about how you speak/write about the students. During my years at my school we vacillated from 25-50% on grade level and everyone bemoaned how poorly our school did. When I worked on creating a community learning school model in my school one thing I did was celebrate our alumni. I brought children who went on to college back to speak to our students. We had a student at Harvard and she was making waves there, another at Wesleyan on a squash scholarship, students in CUNY & SUNY colleges. No one looks at the kids who come out of failing schools who are succeeding. And, when you do, you will find teachers who made a difference AND parents who may be poor but focused on their children’s success in life. Increasing the number of families that can sustain that focus requires all of us to value our community’s kids and our community’s future. And it requires a school leader who can develop relationships with the parents that let them know we are a team.