The Kingston City School District’s Board (KCSD) of Education held a special meeting last week with just one agenda item relating to now-former M. Clifford Miller Middle School Assistant Principal Tamara Smith.
Superintendent Paul Padalino confirmed the special meeting held Monday, July 31 was related to Smith, but declined to offer further details than “Tamara Smith resigned her position.”
Padalino confirmed that the meeting, held in executive session prior to trustees voting unanimously in public, introduced a motion allowing for Smith’s resignation; that motion replaced a two-part resolution that would have rescinded her recent tenure offer and suspended her without pay. The resolutions only identify Smith as employee #4807.
Smith was among those feted during a School Board meeting held on Wednesday, June 21, in which around two dozen district employees were offered tenure. Smith’s tenure was set to begin on Tuesday, August 1, one day after the special meeting where her resignation was accepted.
In August 2019, Smith came to the district as an assistant principal at M. Clifford Miller Middle School focusing on 5th and 6th grade students. Smith’s professional career in education began as a 5th and 6th grade math, ELA and social studies teacher at I.S. Ann Mersereau, a middle school in the Bronx; during her decade at the school, Smith also tutored and coached basketball. She then moved on to Frederick Douglas Academy V Middle School, also in the Bronx, teaching 6th grade ELA and math for three years before becoming the testing coordinator and math coach for the district.
After graduating Alexander Hamilton High School in Elmsford, Smith earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Temple University, and after moving on to Southern New England School of Law, changed her focus to education. She earned her Teaching Certificate from NYC Teaching Fellows and her Master’s Degree from Mercy College, before earning her School Building Leaders certification from the College of St. Rose.
Smith’s departure gives the KCSD two assistant principal vacancies, one at M. Clifford Miller, the other at Kingston High School. The latter has been open since Saturday, July 1 when Rachel Scorca took the reins as principal at KHS. Scorca’s replacement is expected to be announced soon, Padalino said.
“We’re coming to the end of that process,” Padalino said. “Hopefully I’ll have a name and hand Wednesday (August 9) when I walk into the School Board (meeting).”
Padalino said the district posted the assistant middle school principal job opening late last week, a process expected to be led by Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Education Mary Beth Bonville and M. Clifford Miller Principal Andrew Sheber, and the field may include applicants under consideration for the high school assistant principal position.
Smith could not be reached for comment.
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