Hudson Middle School

I feel my child is getting a very good education at this school. The work is much more challenging than I had at his age and far more challenging than what my friends' children are getting in other local districts. The challenges are different than what you would expect. Are they doing calculus in 7th grade, no. What they are doing is learning how to communicate well, how to present well, and how to understand and synthesize the information they are learning into other contexts. For example: In my son's science class presentation he was not only graded on the facts he presented, but graded and critiqued on how those facts were presented to his audience. Even down to the order of the presentation and included how to interact and understand the audience he was delivering to. In his biography book report he had to write, rehearse, and record an interview with the person he read about. This not only required him to know facts about the person, but to think and act like that person. This in the 5th grade. Talking to many parents with older children who graduated from Hudson I have found one common theme. Their kids felt they were far better prepared for college than their peers.
--Submitted by a parent

The teachers here are the best, kind caring and full of wonderful innovative learning ideas.
--Submitted by a parent

As other reviews have stated, the school has great test scores and ratings by virtue of the parents and their children. I too understand that the High School is supposed to be better, but that is no excuse for not having an engaging and challenging learning environment for middle school. My child is doing the same level coursework he did 3 years ago in Virginia. This school district rests on the advantage of a homogenous and highly educated populace and takes credit for the excellent scores the students receive. Instead of the schools challenging themselves to inovate and do better they are too busy patting themselves on the back and keeping the status quo. We come from Fairfax Virginia where this school would rightly be considered a laggard and not a leader.
--Submitted by a parent

I am a middle school teacher for one of the top districts in the state. And yet- I chose for my family to live in hudson rather than my own district (about a 20 min drive away) because their schools had even higher rankings than my own- as well as a great reputation. Well, after 8 years in the district- I can say for sure that it is only a reputation. I pulled my child out of hudson middle school 3/4 of the way through the school year after a number problems and ideological differences with staff and administration. Hudson suffers from a case of inflated ego- there are better districts out there. Don't let the hype fool you- ask local parents if they think this districts puts the needs of students first- and you will get a resounding 'NO'.
--Submitted by a parent

The school suffers somewhat from grade inflation. It is not difficult to get straights A's if you complete the required work-which is about 1/2 to 1 hour a day total. The math program is extremely weak, with many of the children having to retake algebra if they go to a demanding private high school. There is a large amount of substitute teachers to cover for teacher in service days. In general the school has great raw materials to work with, and committed and driven parents that augment a fairly mediocre school.
--Submitted by a parent

The academic programs are good but the teachers are very strict. There are good extracurricurlar activities and the parent involvement is way to high. It is very disiplined.
--Submitted by a former student

The Middle School is set up by Color coded Communities. When a child enters 6th grade they are placed in a color community and they stay with that community until they graduate 8th grade. The school has great academics and pushes your child to achieve beyond the normal realm of school. My child has been in Hudson schools since 1st grade and he is now about to graduate 8th grade. He is doing high school level math and has had two years of high school level Spanish. The Language Arts classes are comprehensive and include Reading and Writing. The quality of work that is expected is above 'normal'. If you can see past the 'keeping up with the Jones' mentality', it is a great school system.
--Submitted by a parent

An challenging school, world class. The teachers are very involved with the students. Students are broken into 'Communities' and remain with them throughout the years. Teachers are also assigned a 'community' and work with that group exclusively. Excellent help for students looking for a focused learning experience. The music program is not as strong as the community would like, but improves at the High School. The other areas are very strong. Parents are directly involved and teachers seek out feedback with students and parents. Very much a partnership.
--Submitted by a parent

Many of the teachers don't understand AD/HD. The ones who do however are very nice.
--Submitted by a student