Jack Smith vs Josh Starr

[Anonymous]

My memory has faded. How do the track records of these two superintendents compare? BOE refused to renew Starr's contract. But they unanimously support Smith. Could it be because they didn't want to look like a group of impossibles? "Come be the superintendent of the best school district in the country! But only be it for 1 term because we'll boot you out..."

Honestly, I don't recall disliking Starr. However, I don't trust Smith at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My memory has faded. How do the track records of these two superintendents compare? BOE refused to renew Starr's contract. But they unanimously support Smith. Could it be because they didn't want to look like a group of impossibles? "Come be the superintendent of the best school district in the country! But only be it for 1 term because we'll boot you out..."

Honestly, I don't recall disliking Starr. However, I don't trust Smith at all.

Smith is a DISASTER!

Signed...every colleague of mine at my school

[Anonymous]

Smith is 1000X better. He's done a lot of good, but people here love to complain.

[Anonymous]

They are total opposites. Starr was young. Polished. On the upward trajectory. Somewhat intimidating. Smith is an aw shucks guy. Walks the walk in terms of adopting special needs kids. But near retirement. Effective? Not necessarily.

[Anonymous]

The BOE has no guts, that's why they renewed Smith's contract. Then any failure, they can just point at him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The BOE has no guts, that's why they renewed Smith's contract. Then any failure, they can just point at him.

Correct. Starr was ready to turn on them and they couldn’t have that.

[Anonymous]

Starr was the most damaging. Smith has been unable to undo the damage and probably doesn't care.

Starr was a complete incompetent twit. Always tweeting and thinking that he was on a springboard to a national platform. He grew the toxic culture at MCPS and showed everyone in the central office that they were accountable to no one. He presided over the awful 2.0 material coming out of the curriculum office and ignored teacher complaints. He rewarded people for focusing on PR first education last. He paid lip service to being a social justice warrior while desperately trying to be accepted by the Whitman crowd. A failure on all fronts.

Smith is last stop before retirement guy who will simply do whatever Pat and Judy (BOE) want. He's don't some house cleaning but not nearly enough and has not made a dent in the toxic culture that Starr fostered.

[Anonymous]

Smith is a puppet of the BoE. The BoE is a puppet of the Planning staff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My memory has faded. How do the track records of these two superintendents compare? BOE refused to renew Starr's contract. But they unanimously support Smith. Could it be because they didn't want to look like a group of impossibles? "Come be the superintendent of the best school district in the country! But only be it for 1 term because we'll boot you out..."

Honestly, I don't recall disliking Starr. However, I don't trust Smith at all.

Everything was Joshua Starr's fault, including every worksheet with a misspelled word and every single flake of snow that fell. How soon you forget!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The BOE has no guts, that's why they renewed Smith's contract. Then any failure, they can just point at him.

Correct. Starr was ready to turn on them and they couldn’t have that.

Are you serious?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My memory has faded. How do the track records of these two superintendents compare? BOE refused to renew Starr's contract. But they unanimously support Smith. Could it be because they didn't want to look like a group of impossibles? "Come be the superintendent of the best school district in the country! But only be it for 1 term because we'll boot you out..."

Honestly, I don't recall disliking Starr. However, I don't trust Smith at all.

Everything was Joshua Starr's fault, including every worksheet with a misspelled word and every single flake of snow that fell. How soon you forget!

Those “damn you, Joshua Starr” posts were the best. For all the complaining about Smith, there haven’t been as many “damn you, Jack Smith!” posts.

[Anonymous]

Every teacher hates Smith. The schools are a disaster with no discipline allowed. The schools are a mess and we all want to leave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My memory has faded. How do the track records of these two superintendents compare? BOE refused to renew Starr's contract. But they unanimously support Smith. Could it be because they didn't want to look like a group of impossibles? "Come be the superintendent of the best school district in the country! But only be it for 1 term because we'll boot you out..."

Honestly, I don't recall disliking Starr. However, I don't trust Smith at all.

Everything was Joshua Starr's fault, including every worksheet with a misspelled word and every single flake of snow that fell. How soon you forget!

Those “damn you, Joshua Starr” posts were the best. For all the complaining about Smith, there haven’t been as many “damn you, Jack Smith!” posts.

You're right, there haven't, and I wonder why.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My memory has faded. How do the track records of these two superintendents compare? BOE refused to renew Starr's contract. But they unanimously support Smith. Could it be because they didn't want to look like a group of impossibles? "Come be the superintendent of the best school district in the country! But only be it for 1 term because we'll boot you out..."

Honestly, I don't recall disliking Starr. However, I don't trust Smith at all.

Everything was Joshua Starr's fault, including every worksheet with a misspelled word and every single flake of snow that fell. How soon you forget!

Those “damn you, Joshua Starr” posts were the best. For all the complaining about Smith, there haven’t been as many “damn you, Jack Smith!” posts.

You're right, there haven't, and I wonder why.

I know them both and have worked for them both and would pick Josh Starr a thousand times over Smith. He has balls and he had a much broader vision. He didn't play well in the sandbox with the BOE and they ended up at total odds. I literally can't think of one colleague who likes Smith. Morale is at an all-time low. The people closest to Smith in the org chart are the most miserable, but principals aren't happy either. And teachers are a total afterthought. He is infamous for being a screamer too.

[Anonymous]

Can’t stand either one of them.