William Wood by Hudson High School sign

Photo taken by HHS student, Jalani Robles

Mr. William Wood is the new Associate Principal at Hudson Senior High School. A former professional musician, Mr. Wood has been a high school educator for the past several years and is looking forward to his new leadership role.

Here are a few things to help you get to know Mr. Wood:

What are your job responsibilities/priorities as Associate Principal?
A primary responsibility is to help students reach academic and personal success, so I plan to prioritize the great work being done with PBIS and Restorative Practices. I also look to build on the goals the district has been making great strides with and cultivate relationships within the school community.

What goals do you hope to accomplish while working at Hudson?
For immediate goals, I hope to quickly acquaint myself to the AP responsibilities so that no time is wasted. By the end of this school year, I want to know all the students, faculty and staff in the building. I look forward to learning more about the culture, norms and procedures of the building as well.

Looking to the future, my goals are to be the best school leader I can be and support this school community in any way possible for many happy and productive years.

What do you like most about your job?
I enjoy working with staff and students to improve academic and personal success. I also like making connections and creating community partnerships to find new opportunities for students and the school. It is vital to have partnerships within the community as it makes the entire district stronger and more unified.

What is your background like – previous jobs, your education, etc.?
Prior to my appointment as the Associate Principal at HHS, I taught English and Global Studies at Hamilton-Fulton-Montgomery BOCES for five years. I hold a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Albany and a master’s degree in Adolescent Education from The College of Saint Rose. I earned my School Building Leader certification through SUNY Albany.

Before working here, what was the most unusual or interesting job you’ve ever had?
I played music professionally on a label for about two years doing mostly bass guitar work. During that time, I performed sets on some dates of The Warped Tour and went to Hollywood twice where we played The Viper Room. We also released an album that was briefly in some stores and had occasional radio play on SiriusXM.

Tell us a bit about your life outside of school.
I love music. I play guitar and often sing for my two daughters when we are at home. I greatly enjoy reading fiction and playing baseball, ping-pong and chess. I can speak Italian fluently as well. I met my wife, Ashlee, during my undergraduate studies and we have a four-year-old daughter, Finley, and a two-year-old daughter, Violet.

What is the best advice anyone has given you?
“When you are feeling overwhelmed, focus on one task at a time. Eventually you will complete everything you need to finish.”

A great piece of advice I received about school leadership is: “You want to empower people. Over time you want to become a leader of leaders. That is the best way to create positive system change.”

What is your motto or personal mantra?
“Have a goal and always be working toward it.”

Anything else you want to share?
I am incredibly excited to begin my time as a Bluehawk! I believe in the power of local leadership and the positive impact it can have on a school and community.