Nov. 8th Listen and Learn Summary

SUMMARY OF 11.7.11 LISTEN & LEARN

Frederick Stichnoth

November 8, 2011

            This is a brief summary of Dr. Starr’s November 7 listen and learn session at Wheaton High School .

            Dr. Starr began by summarizing “patterns that have emerged” as he has familiarized himself the MCPS:

            1.         Variability: schools with similar makeups perform differently

            2.         Say/do ratio, aka accountability: we can only do so much. We need to slow down, examine how programs “fit,” and whether we follow through.

            3.         Community engagement: we can never do enough to get the community engaged.

            4.         Adult learning problem: we need to concentrate on professional development.

            The greatest number of comments and questions concerned the delay in the Wheaton/Edison reconstruction.  Dr. Starr said that the County Executive and Council had capped the capital budget. Starr’s priorities are compliance (sprinklers in schools, ADA ), maintenance, capacity (cutting the number of portable classrooms). It was necessary to make hard choices. Additional cuts may be exacted against even the current proposal. Parents said that the deferral was a slap to a high-poverty, high-minority, red zone community (Dr. Starr says nobody was singled out); Wheaton gets the “short end of the stick every time.” A parent said that it was necessary to support Wheaton’s programs, retain key teacher positions and increase enrollment; Dr. Starr responded that the budget is formula driven. A Wheaton Special Education para-educator questioned whether certain lower hallway art rooms are safe; and said that there is mold and mildew in the building; Dr. Starr said that the schools are safe and that it would take a decade to catch up with HVAC needs. A Wheaton junior said that she is really disappointed with the delay, she feels promises were broken, “it sucks;” Dr. Starr explicitly agree that “it sucks.”  

            In response to a comment regarding Edison career programming expansion, Dr. Starr said he is a believer in such programs; they require the same skills as those required for college. NCLB is disturbing to him, in part because it does not measure what kids need: collaboration, problem solving. Rather, NCLB perpetuates the current socio-economic order.

            The second greatest number of comments and questions came from Oak View ES parents. Oak View serves Grades 3-5. Parents want service expanded to include Grades K-2.

            A parent said more IT specialists and other support personnel were necessary, especially at larger schools such as Blair.

            A parent praised Sligo’s language immersion program, but complained that there was unmet demand and insufficient outreach to parents just entering the system. Dr. Starr said that there are no plans to expand language immersion.

            Liz King, MCCPTA Walter Johnson Cluster Coordinator, expressed concern with redistricting: capital issues should be met with capital solutions, not redistricting. Dr. Starr observed that other districts change school assignments annually, or change assignments as demographics change to promote diversity, but MCPS does not have any such guidelines. He has a “sacred trust” with taxpayers. If he can find a solution to growth that doesn’t entail capital spending and that will last for the long term, he will implement it. However, no superintendent likes redistricting.

            In response to a question regarding parent involvement, Dr. Starr said that he wants all parents to be “high demand parents.”

            I asked about equity: MCPS is committed that performance outcomes will not be predictable by race, ethnicity, SES; the achievement gap has a geographic locus (essentially red zone schools); Dr. Starr’s initial comment on “variability” concerned schools with “similar make ups and different performance;” I am interested in schools with different make up and different performance; I observed that the Transition Report discussed examining equitable budget allocation and an examination of equity programs and status. Dr. Starr said that equity is different than equality; we’re always concerned about equity; and he doesn’t remember anything in the Transition Report regarding an equity audit.

            Note to Dr. Starr. The Transition Report states:

Finally, the [Transition] Team recommends an examination of the district’s current practice of allocating resources to students and schools to ensure that funds are equitably distributed to provide all students, in all schools, with the resources necessary to achieve success. Transition Team Report, September 2011, 5.

Assess and align the district’s equity-based initiatives. Due to the wide range of equity-based plans, goals, strategies, initiatives, programs, activities, capacity building efforts, and accountability measures in the district, first conduct an assessment to establish baseline data and information to best inform the community of the extent to which these efforts are aligned, coherent, systemic, and supported. Evaluate the impact and influence on narrowing gaps and eliminating racial predictability and disproportionality of each initiative to determine which should be emphasized and supported and which should perhaps be discontinued. It may also be necessary to consider internal and external approaches to instructional and operational audits of performance in this area. Transition Team Report, September 2011, 21.

            A police officer asked if there was any thought about a program warning students about crimes against kids, particularly sex crimes; Dr. Starr said it’s sensitive.