The woman addressing the board went on to say that since Suttmeier's retirement in 2022, the graduation rate has declined, morale has suffered, and staff turnover has been high. She urged that the board consider candidates who "know Hudson, care about Hudson, and are invested in the community." She also expressed disappointment in the board's decision to hire HYA for the superintendent search, the same group used in 2023 when Juliette Pennyman was hired. The full comment to board can be heard here, beginning at 1:27:17.
Peter Meyer, who served on the HCSD Board of Education when Suttmeier was named superintendent in 2012, has raised similar questions. In a memo sent to the HCSD Board of Education on January 7, Meyer suggested that, "before embarking on a search for a new superintendent," the Board of Education should ask itself the following questions:
- What was wrong with the search process for the last two superintendents?
- What was right about the search process for the last successful superintendent?
- What are the two most important jobs of a superintendent?
- Why was Superintendent Suttmeier making progress on student reading scores?
- Is this board satisfied with the current reading scores?
- How do we create a district where two thirds of students read above grade level and how long should it take?
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| This picture from 2012 accompanied the Register-Star announcement that the Board of Education had named Suttmeier the new superintendent. Shown from left to right: Elizabeth Fout, Kelly Frank, Suttmeier, Carrie Otty, Peter Merante, Jeri Chapman, Meyer |
When Meyer learned that, when the board held its superintendent search "workshop" on January 7, it has already entered into an agreement with HYA to handle the search, he submitted these additional questions for the board's consideration:
- Is the HYA company that conducted the workshop on January 7 the same company that recommended that it hire Dr. Pennyman in 2023?
- Why hire a company that has already failed once?
- Why did Dr. Pennyman resign so suddenly in 2025?
- And what was wrong with the process for choosing the superintendent before Pennyman? I think she only lasted a year.
Given DePace's defense of the search process the board is currently pursuing, it is unlikely that answers to most of Meyer's questions will be forthcoming. Still, it would be nice to know the board's thoughts about these questions posed by Meyer:
- What are the two most important jobs of a superintendent?
- Why was Superintendent Suttmeier making progress on student reading scores?
- How do we create a district where two thirds of students read above grade level and how long should it take?
COPYRIGHT 2026 CAROLE OSTERINK
Just always another money grab because they can. So tiresome.
ReplyDeleteseeing that half of our family axes go to the school district, it would be nice if we could at least educate the kids properly as well as fund sports and art programs.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this story, Carole. It is terribly important. Not only is "the woman addressing the board" absolutely right about hiring one of our own (by my count there are at least three people with the appropriate credentials now working for HCSD), but my experience -- as a board member (per the picture) and as an education reporter for 30 years, suggest that a functional board must answer the questions I posed if it expects to hire a good superintendent. Based on Mr. Depace's lame justification for hiring a losing consultant, I predict that it won't. .
ReplyDelete"Destination Graduation" was a disaster. Removing standards and then awarding students a diploma is not progress, in fact, its regressive.
ReplyDeleteThe district needs leadership, where it comes from should be irrelevant.
Charlie, you're absolutely right that the district "needs leadership, where it comes from should be irrelevant." But if the leadership, which starts and ends at the Board of education, doesn't know what it wants, then we're stuck with the kind of leadership (superintendent) we've had for the last five years. And we will get the same mumbo jumbo this time around. The BOE has to get its act together, figure out what it did wrong the last two times and figure out what it needs to change, including asking of itself, what are the most important jobs of a superintendent. Saying that you can hire the same consultant as you hired before because that consultant is based in Albany is ridiculous. But there is certainly no reason to exclude local candidates because they are local. When the BOE hired Maria Suttmeier in 2017, we had enough confidence in our leadership (us, the BOE) to a) know what we wanted and b) not be intimidated by all the so-called consultants who said we had to hire "experts" to tell us what we needed. This board thinks it can survey itself to a new super. Not! It's an expensive distraction, a way to avoid taking responsibility.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Carole, for writing this important story. I hope it launches deep and persistent coverage of the Hudson schools in Gossips. I thank Peter Meyer, too, for his raising these essential questions. The city's schools are among the most expensive in the state and generate among the worst oucomes. At current spending levels, Hudson could ensure that virtually every student was found academically proficient and on the path to college and career. It is a matter of will.
ReplyDelete