Absolutely not. What I'm saying is that Arne Duncan didn't like Starr and, in some cases, stood in Starr's way when Starr sought other superintendent positions (like NY).
Starr left as a loser. We've got the student data to prove it. That's why no school system would touch him.
Under the advice of the current director of equity Starr grew the the black white achievement gap wider than it's ever been in MCPS. That's why Bowers is taking advice from the same director.
@ Anonymous 10:50am: I would argue that the wider gap is more a result of Weast's policies than Starr's. What we're seeing now are the full results that Weast implemented as early as his first year. Starr wasn't here very long, and I think it will be a few years before you really start to see the effects of any changes he made.
Dr. Waste is at last long gone Leaving behind a lingering legacy For during his tenuous tenure The county schools had morphed Into hasty shelters of emergency.
Agree in part: Weast was pushing for unrealistically high expectations - there's a reason that after K went full-day in the name of "academic rigor" (Weast's words), the entrance age was also raised - and that combined with further changes at the Federal & State levels w/o commensurate funding and support where it was needed most (and not for long enough - a couple years of smaller classes is a band-aid at best) left Starr less to work with than there should have been. We did get some of our small class sizes back for a while at our school (desperately needed measures!) but the expenditures on tech rankle; that money could have gone to so many more proven interventions and been targeted to schools & students who needed it most. :-(
IMO the lack of transparency and other missteps from Starr and the Board was an issue separate from the Achievement Gap, though.
You want smaller schools? Try electing some councilmembers who will slow development and enforce our Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance instead of stuffing the downcounty with too much development and no money for needed infrastructure, including schools. These councilmembers never saw a development they didn't like. All these people are ELECTED. By you.
They may be "elected" by us, but the majority of Montgomery County Councilmembers are 75% funded with developer dollars. As far as the county's APFO, there has been talk behind closed doors by MC councilmembers to emulate the City of Gaithersburg and raise the county's school capacity test to as high as 150% (from the current 120%). For developers it means no building moratoriums (for now). For our children, it means: 50+ kids in a classroom, double the portables, shortened lunches from 9AM 'til 2PM, even lower test scores and lots of students falling through the cracks. Follow the money and DON'T vote for developer-funded (and Apple Ballot) candidates in 2018. This is the only way to take back our schools and our county.
@Anonymous 10/5 4;59, again, this is up to the voters. Don't blame the developers for doing their job. You might not like it, but that's what they do. In other jurisdictions, though, the elected representatives do their job, and actually represent the voters instead of their patrons. Not so here. Yet, with one exception, all the councilmembers are re-elected repeatedly, and in fact Ike Leggett is now enjoying his third term. Regarding 'talk behind closed doors,' name names. Who? Which councilmembers? Any staff members? Again, who? It doesn't help to keep secrets.
7years too late, and his replacement is no better - possibly WORSE.
ReplyDeleteI guess Josh Starr can rest easy now.
ReplyDeleteAre you implying that Starr will be his successor?
DeleteAre you implying that Starr will be his successor?
DeleteAbsolutely not. What I'm saying is that Arne Duncan didn't like Starr and, in some cases, stood in Starr's way when Starr sought other superintendent positions (like NY).
DeleteStarr already landed on his feet, assisted by a Golden Parachute. He probably rested easy the day he got hired by PDK, if not earlier.
DeleteA cat in the hat knows a lot about that!
DeleteStarr left as a loser. We've got the student data to prove it. That's why no school system would touch him.
ReplyDeleteUnder the advice of the current director of equity Starr grew the the black white achievement gap wider than it's ever been in MCPS. That's why Bowers is taking advice from the same director.
@ Anonymous 10:50am: I would argue that the wider gap is more a result of Weast's policies than Starr's. What we're seeing now are the full results that Weast implemented as early as his first year. Starr wasn't here very long, and I think it will be a few years before you really start to see the effects of any changes he made.
ReplyDeleteDr. Waste is at last long gone
DeleteLeaving behind a lingering legacy
For during his tenuous tenure
The county schools had morphed
Into hasty shelters of emergency.
Agree in part: Weast was pushing for unrealistically high expectations - there's a reason that after K went full-day in the name of "academic rigor" (Weast's words), the entrance age was also raised - and that combined with further changes at the Federal & State levels w/o commensurate funding and support where it was needed most (and not for long enough - a couple years of smaller classes is a band-aid at best) left Starr less to work with than there should have been. We did get some of our small class sizes back for a while at our school (desperately needed measures!) but the expenditures on tech rankle; that money could have gone to so many more proven interventions and been targeted to schools & students who needed it most. :-(
DeleteIMO the lack of transparency and other missteps from Starr and the Board was an issue separate from the Achievement Gap, though.
You want smaller schools? Try electing some councilmembers who will slow development and enforce our Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance instead of stuffing the downcounty with too much development and no money for needed infrastructure, including schools. These councilmembers never saw a development they didn't like. All these people are ELECTED. By you.
ReplyDeleteThey may be "elected" by us, but the majority of Montgomery County Councilmembers are 75% funded with developer dollars. As far as the county's APFO, there has been talk behind closed doors by MC councilmembers to emulate the City of Gaithersburg and raise the county's school capacity test to as high as 150% (from the current 120%). For developers it means no building moratoriums (for now). For our children, it means: 50+ kids in a classroom, double the portables, shortened lunches from 9AM 'til 2PM, even lower test scores and lots of students falling through the cracks. Follow the money and DON'T vote for developer-funded (and Apple Ballot) candidates in 2018. This is the only way to take back our schools and our county.
DeleteThe council members will do empower
DeleteWith our voting right they get in power
But, with amnesia they're surrounded
Once all the votes have been counted.
@Anonymous 10/5 4;59, again, this is up to the voters. Don't blame the developers for doing their job. You might not like it, but that's what they do. In other jurisdictions, though, the elected representatives do their job, and actually represent the voters instead of their patrons. Not so here. Yet, with one exception, all the councilmembers are re-elected repeatedly, and in fact Ike Leggett is now enjoying his third term. Regarding 'talk behind closed doors,' name names. Who? Which councilmembers? Any staff members? Again, who? It doesn't help to keep secrets.
ReplyDeleteWho, What, Where, Why and How? The answers to these questions would raise an eyebrow.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous, if you have answers, don't keep them secret. That guarantees that nothing is going to change.
DeleteWe live in a transparent society, all the answers are in the public domain.
Deleteso, 'talk behind closed doors,' but available in public documents? can you please throw us some bread crumbs. hard to follow.
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBzJGckMYO4
ReplyDelete