JIT Report Critical of Hudson Intermediate School

A New York State Joint Intervention Team conducted a review which found one of the city of Hudson's intermediate schools falling behind: Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports on the recommendation to restructure the Montgomery C. Smith School.

It's not a "crisis" situation, but there is work to be done at the Smith School - the New York State Joint Intervention Team conducted a review of Smith back in January - finding the grade 3-6 school failed to make sufficient academic progress and describing it as "unlikely to improve its performance under the current structure and organization."

The review team leader is James Butterworth, Executive Director of CASDA, the Capital Area Schools Development Association, "the field arm of the school of education" at the University at Albany. The JIT recommended the school develop and implement a restructuring plan to include changes in staff and organizational structure. Butterworth says schools today are increased scrutiny and have may requirements that must be met.

Among the team's key findings: Academic expectations for students are generally low, and there is a lack of shared vision and mission for student success. School Principal Mark Brenneman explains the school has embraced the report.
Now that the problems have been identified, Butterworth says the school must act. Butterworth will present the Joint Intervention Team findings to the Hudson City Board of Education.