Mr. Starr's Poor Performance for MCPS Students

[Anonymous]

The more I hear Mr. Starr speak and hear what he says, the more I believe his ideas and actions will lead a negative down turn for all our students; of all levels and abilities. It is shocking that the school board hired him to head MCPS. If you have not had the opportunity to meet him or hear him speak, take a moment and listen to him on the Montgomery County cable channel. Posters have discribed him as arrogrant. I agree. He comes across almost crass. Again, it is shocking he was hired to replace Mr. Weast, whether you agreed with Mr. Weast's policies or not.

Is our (MCPS parents/voters) strongest option to vote AGAINST the "Apple" ballot? Other poster have metioned this and on the most simplistic level it makes sense. Has anyone made any movement to remove Mr. Starr and/or the current BOE?

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous]The more I hear Mr. Starr speak and hear what he says, the more I believe his ideas and actions will lead a negative down turn for all our students; of all levels and abilities. It is shocking that the school board hired him to head MCPS. If you have not had the opportunity to meet him or hear him speak, take a moment and listen to him on the Montgomery County cable channel. Posters have discribed him as arrogrant. I agree. He comes across almost crass. Again, it is shocking he was hired to replace Mr. Weast, whether you agreed with Mr. Weast's policies or not.

Is our (MCPS parents/voters) strongest option to vote AGAINST the "Apple" ballot? Other poster have metioned this and on the most simplistic level it makes sense. Has anyone made any movement to remove Mr. Starr and/or the current BOE? [/quote]

I can't think of any way to get rid of Starr without getting a new BOE. This BOE hired him, so they are tied together. The BOE = Apple Ballot = Union = Starr. They are all interchangeable. I think parents need to continue to raise their concerns in any way possible If you think your child is not getting a good education, then complainin to teachers, principals, etc. If they won't listen, then make it uncomfortable to keep the status quo.

You can also email Dr. Starr directly with your concerns.

[e-mail]

[Anonymous]

If all of the admitted students are the top students (based on exam scores, grades, extra-curricular activities, references, etc...) and they all happen to be Asian; so be it. As long as the admission process is fair and the best qualified students are admitted, why are people so bothered that the majority, not all but the majority, of the students admitted to TJ are Asian? You never hear people complaining that the majority of a football or basketball team is white and/or black. Students and/or professionals try out for a team and the best qualified players are selected based on skills, size, natural ability or whatever. Why is the attitude different when dealing with selection for the best qualified academic students?

...the original immigrants to the New World from across the Atlantic feel threatened. Pure and simple.

Now, this is why the MCPS leadership made the radical decision in the County to prevent and stop capable students from advancing in Math (starting in the early Grades) when they rolled out curriculum 2.0. As the smoke is settling it is becoming increasing clear the prime motivation is to slow certain students down to close the widening gap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

If all of the admitted students are the top students (based on exam scores, grades, extra-curricular activities, references, etc...) and they all happen to be Asian; so be it. As long as the admission process is fair and the best qualified students are admitted, why are people so bothered that the majority, not all but the majority, of the students admitted to TJ are Asian? You never hear people complaining that the majority of a football or basketball team is white and/or black. Students and/or professionals try out for a team and the best qualified players are selected based on skills, size, natural ability or whatever. Why is the attitude different when dealing with selection for the best qualified academic students?

...the original immigrants to the New World from across the Atlantic feel threatened. Pure and simple.

Now, this is why the MCPS leadership made the radical decision in the County to prevent and stop capable students from advancing in Math (starting in the early Grades) when they rolled out curriculum 2.0. As the smoke is settling it is becoming increasing clear the prime motivation is to slow certain students down to close the widening gap.

Of course it is designed to slow down the children of the wealthy who come well prepared. Then Starr can claim he created a curriculum that closed the gap, the unions can claim their teachers closed the gap, unions can demand another 7% wage increase and Starr will get a salary increase.

[Anonymous]

Of course it is designed to slow down the children of the wealthy who come well prepared. Then Starr can claim he created a curriculum that closed the gap, the unions can claim their teachers closed the gap, unions can demand another 7% wage increase and Starr will get a salary increase

Slick social scientists always design experiments that are powered to meet their evaluable endpoints...closing the gap literally (keep everyone in the same classroom) and figuratively. I think you are spot on with the true underlying motives and motivations here.

[Anonymous]

Of course it is designed to slow down the children of the wealthy who come well prepared. Then Starr can claim he created a curriculum that closed the gap, the unions can claim their teachers closed the gap, unions can demand another 7% wage increase and Starr will get a salary increase

Slick social scientists always design experiments that are powered to meet their evaluable endpoints...closing the gap literally (keep everyone in the same classroom) and figuratively. I think you are spot on with the true underlying motives and motivations here.

The theory of relativity suggests as America closes this gap here in America (by stunting the educational growth of some of her children) the rest of the world is closing it's gap between the US at a much faster rate.

[Anonymous]

The new curriculum was chosen before Starr was hired, so I don't see how you can blame him for it.

[Anonymous]

OK, Starr was not here when the new curriculum was bought. Does the new curriculum mean a new policy to hold back students that have already mastered it. Oh do you believe it is impossible to have mastered it because it's new! There are quite a number of 2nd graders throughout the County that had mastered it before its implementation.

[Anonymous]

Does the new core curriculum or standards prohibit students with mastery to move on?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The new curriculum was chosen before Starr was hired, so I don't see how you can blame him for it.

I wrote this elsewhere. Starr = BOE = Apple Ballot = Union. They are interchangeable. If it wasn't Starr, the BOE would have hired some other person to implement their priorities. Of course, that's fair since the BOE is democratically elected. That doesn't mean I have to like him or not push for change.

[Anonymous]

How do parents and other Montgomery County residents fed up with Mr. Starr, the BOE and/or the union mobilize to have our voices heard - STOP misusing our tax dollars! Instead of complaining on this forum, does anyone know how to garner mass support via the internet or other means? I'm another parent who strongly believes Mr. Starr is the wrong person to lead MCPS and that the BOE has implemented policies and programs that have dumb downed our students education.

[Anonymous]

OK, genius

Whom would you recommend?

What's your educational philosophy, btw, or your educational degree, for that matter, since you seem to be the expert on educational policy????

I am never amazed at how non-educators think they know all there is to know about curriculum. Unless you have evidence to suggest that MCPS is dumbing down education, I seriously doubt you'll gain much support from other Mo Co residents.



[quote=Anonymous]How do parents and other Montgomery County residents fed up with Mr. Starr, the BOE and/or the union mobilize to have our voices heard - STOP misusing our tax dollars! Instead of complaining on this forum, does anyone know how to garner mass support via the internet or other means? I'm another parent who strongly believes Mr. Starr is the wrong person to lead MCPS and that the BOE has implemented policies and programs that have dumb downed our students education. [/quote]

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous]OK, genius

Whom would you recommend?

What's your educational philosophy, btw, or your educational degree, for that matter, since you seem to be the expert on educational policy????

I am never amazed at how non-educators think they know all there is to know about curriculum. Unless you have evidence to suggest that MCPS is dumbing down education, I seriously doubt you'll gain much support from other Mo Co residents.

[/quote]

I guess I am a non-educator, so you are talking to me. I have a phd in Stats. I don't think the degree matters as much as being a parent. All parents are educators. We are the one's that see wonderful children at home talking about either being bored (advanced kids) or dumb (struggling learners) at home. We see the work they bring home and know if the kid ready for it or not. 'Professional Educators' may not see this because they see peer groups of kids with test score distributions. As parents, we want to see kids gravitate to the right level of learning so they see learning as a valuable process. I prefer the math pathways approach where kids move at their own pace not forced on a pace as dictated by their age. The dumbing down will only occur for the top non-magnet students, who probably ready for the magnet pace. There just are not enough magnet slots. Previously, these kids were allowed to move ahead at the local school. MCPS is moving away from this. It's that simple. I am not going to argue about the details of what is getting taught. The problem is that the expensive school system seems to be only able to cater to one pace of learning. Parents are right to be skeptical that one teacher can take 25-30 kids and constantly challenge the different paces they are traveling. Industrial organization tells us that it is more efficient to have teachers specialize and treat homogenous groups of kids. This is what happens in just about any profession I can bring to mind right now. Further, there is no one in MCPS that is bringing out studies and research to support their drastic views. Please educate me on why Curriculum 2.0 will work or is this a big expensive experiment on our kids. Please work with parents and not against them.

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OK, genius

Whom would you recommend?

What's your educational philosophy, btw, or your educational degree, for that matter, since you seem to be the expert on educational policy????

I am never amazed at how non-educators think they know all there is to know about curriculum. Unless you have evidence to suggest that MCPS is dumbing down education, I seriously doubt you'll gain much support from other Mo Co residents.

[/quote]

I guess I am a non-educator, so you are talking to me. I have a phd in Stats. I don't think the degree matters as much as being a parent. [b] All parents are educators. [/b] We are the one's that see wonderful children at home talking about either being bored (advanced kids) or dumb (struggling learners) at home. We see the work they bring home and know if the kid ready for it or not. 'Professional Educators' may not see this because they see peer groups of kids with test score distributions. As parents, we want to see kids gravitate to the right level of learning so they see learning as a valuable process. I prefer the math pathways approach where kids move at their own pace not forced on a pace as dictated by their age. The dumbing down will only occur for the top non-magnet students, who probably ready for the magnet pace. There just are not enough magnet slots. Previously, these kids were allowed to move ahead at the local school. MCPS is moving away from this. It's that simple. I am not going to argue about the details of what is getting taught. The problem is that the expensive school system seems to be only able to cater to one pace of learning. Parents are right to be skeptical that one teacher can take 25-30 kids and constantly challenge the different paces they are traveling. Industrial organization tells us that it is more efficient to have teachers specialize and treat homogenous groups of kids. This is what happens in just about any profession I can bring to mind right now. Further, there is no one in MCPS that is bringing out studies and research to support their drastic views. Please educate me on why Curriculum 2.0 will work or is this a big expensive experiment on our kids. [b] Please work with parents and not against them.[[/b]/quote]

Until YOU, as a parent, are as kind to us, we cannot work together. Furthermore, until YOU can write a successful lesson plan that incorporates all of the essential components and critical thinking skills - adding in, of course, strategies that work with all learners and all skill levels, don't pretend YOU are an educator.

You are not one. You have a PhD in stats. A struggling 9th grader in matter and energy will not give a rat's ass about your PhD. In fact, our school lost two career changers with PhDs b/c they could NOT handle the subject matter, planning, grading - and most importantly, the management.

But go ahead and study your numbers, PhD. Stay away from the reality we face each day.

You have NO credibility with us.

[Anonymous]

Until YOU, as a parent, are as kind to us, we cannot work together. Furthermore, until YOU can write a successful lesson plan that incorporates all of the essential components and critical thinking skills - adding in, of course, strategies that work with all learners and all skill levels, don't pretend YOU are an educator.

You are not one. You have a PhD in stats. A struggling 9th grader in matter and energy will not give a rat's ass about your PhD. In fact, our school lost two career changers with PhDs b/c they could NOT handle the subject matter, planning, grading - and most importantly, the management.

But go ahead and study your numbers, PhD. Stay away from the reality we face each day.

You have NO credibility with us.

New poster. I have children in MCPS. They are in the elementary schools. We have experience in 4 of these elementary schools--West County. My remarks are not made to impugn anyone but to state my observations. The one consistent observation with all my children: most of the teachers trying to teach math were ineffective. Most of the advanced elementary kids were in the classes were further ahead in the subject than the teachers. I think this was because most of the teachers we encountered hadn't gone very far in the study of math -- and some propably weren't very facile with the subject to begin with. Many of the kids who were advanced were the kids "getting into trouble" in the classrooms. One of the problems I have witnessed is it's hard for the teachers to teach if they don't know the material themselves and so the some of the "class trouble makers" (advanced students) are really stuck waiting for the teacher to move the puck. The problem is not the curriculum as such but its implementation and execution (or lack thereof). I do not fault the teachers. It's what we have to work with. Loading their overflowing plates with further requirements to teach to both tails of the Bell shaped curve under these circumstances is pure folly. This will fail. At least, allowing appropriate advancement up and down grade levels served a functional pop off to the system.

Perhaps our esteemed MCPS educational leaders will revisit the wisdom of this decision (prohibition of Math advancement in public schools). It makes no sense in the 21st century world and may sew irrevocable damage to the pipeline for the biotechnology workforce in this area and ultimately the local economy.