Stamford Superintendent of Schools Joshua Starr was named to the same position with the Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland on Monday. Starr will finish the school year in Stamford and take over in Maryland on July 1.
“By engendering a culture that rests in the belief that all children have unlimited potential, ensuring a systematic focus on great instruction, and establishing processes and structures that support adult learning and development, MCPS has changed the conversation of what is possible in urban public education,” Starr says in a Montgomery County Public Schools statement.
Starr heard he was a finalist for the position over spring break last week, he said in an open letter posted on the school system's website. In the letter, he expressed his gratitude to his colleagues and how happy he was during his six years in Stamford.
“You welcomed me and my family to this community, taught me about the district’s culture of caring for all children, and then worked exceptionally hard to implement new programs and initiatives that promote their academic achievement,” Starr said.
In the letter, Starr says the school year should end without any interruption and the Board of Education will begin searching for his replacement “at the appropriate time.” He also suggested that the board may name an interim superintendent.
The decision by the Montgomery County Board of Education to appoint Starr was unanimous, the statement says. A series of meetings will be held in Maryland for the public to meet with Starr. The decision is still pending final negotiations and approvals by the Maryland superintendent of public schools.
What did you think of Joshua Starr’s tenure in Stamford? Share your thoughts below or send them to reporter Anthony Buzzeo at .
I'm not even going to bother commenting on the Advocate website, which is full of Starr-haters (and, it seems, people who don't even have children in the school system) but this public school parent will be sorry to see him go.
Previous Superintendents talked a very good game, got hired, and then did nothing but collect a paycheck. Starr put into place some very positive initiatives to increase equity among the schools, give them all a true common curriculum and standards, and examined the real problem of how tracking ghettoized the poor--finally.
The grouping/tracking thing and the redistricting thing that many people opposed, were necessary and courageous. You can disagree with them, but at least he had a concept and went for it. And no, I'm not his wife, or his brother. I don't even know him.
I, and many people like me, will miss Starr, but we're pleased that at least he got out before he was fired. Best of luck!