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Cohoes principals ask board to fund instructional coaching, tutoring and new STEM courses
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Summary
High-school and middle-school principals asked the Cohoes board to prioritize curriculum refinement, instructional coaching and targeted interventions; proposals included a semester/year-long semiconductor PBL course and requests for math AIS staff and a full-time secondary instructional coach.
Laura Tarlow, principal of Cohoes High School, and Rana, principal of Cohoes Middle School, used the March 4 board meeting to present building-level budget priorities focused on instruction, student supports and safety.
Tarlow said high-school enrollment has been steady near 600 students and that about 20% of students have IEPs while roughly 30% need differentiated instructional supports. She described a proposed bell-schedule redesign intended to create more collaborative time for teachers and add an advisory period and recess, and she said the district is adding dual-credit courses — including a conversational Spanish 5 — and pursuing a project-based semiconductor course in collaboration with RPI and other regional partners.
"While we're a smaller high school... about 20% of our population has an IEP," Tarlow said, arguing these factors shape instructional design and the need for targeted coaching. She thanked the district for recent safety investments and noted metal detectors were expected to be delivered in mid-March.
Rana told the board that a small seventh-grade cohort allowed the middle school to pilot schedule changes and that I-Ready diagnostic administration and targeted interventions led to measurable engagement and growth. The middle school requested a math AIS teacher, a secondary instructional coach (five days a week) to support data-driven instruction, and a tutoring-center model to provide after-school and targeted support for suspended or struggling students.
"Our math scores are low... it's a district problem," Rana said, pressing for an AIS teacher and district-level coaching to improve outcomes. She described piloted "push-in" models, adoption of the Positivity Project for SEL, and successful field trips and extracurricular engagement.
Athletic Director Jeff Yoon also presented program highlights and modest athletic needs: a head athletic chaperone stipend, periodic equipment replacement (helmets, a blocking sled), uniform cycles and upgrades to the alumni gym floor and padding.
Administrators emphasized this year as one of refinement rather than large new asks, and requested that the board prioritize funding for curriculum development, professional development, and coaching — especially in math and science — to translate existing investments into measurable student outcomes.
