Video #4: Starr's Seven Keys Myth

Question #4 from November 26, 2012, MCPS Special Education Advisory Committee meeting with Superintendent Starr.

In this question, Superintendent Joshua Starr was asked about the MCPS Seven Keys in relation to special education students.  

Superintendent Starr begins his answer to the question by spinning a tall tale about how the MCPS Seven Keys were created.  Apparently, Superintendent Starr has not been told that the Seven Keys were created by Jerry Weast as his personal vision for use in his presentations at conventions.  The Seven Keys were not the result of some MCPS "study".  

In 2006 parents first learned of Superintendent Jerry Weast's "vision" of the Seven Keys.  They were discussed in a Harvard paper on MCPS.  From the Harvard paper (page 10) we learned: 

..."During subsequent administrative gatherings and MCPS Board of Education meetings, Weast continued the dialogue on institutional barriers and racism and defined what he called “The Path to Achievement,” which concisely communicated his vision of what every student should achieve before graduating from MCPS (see Exhibit 9 for “The Path to Achievement” slide). When conveying his related strategy for closing the achievement gap in simplest terms, he used the formula “Access + Equity + Rigor = Achievement.”"...

The Seven Keys went through a few changes over the years and the name was changed from "The Path to Achievement" to the "Seven Keys". 

Now, listen to Superintendent Starr's version of where he thinks the Seven Keys came from.