On Oct. 15, MCPS superintendent Dr. Joshua Starr held a student town hall meeting at Northwest High School, addressing multiple questions from students regarding a variety of subjects, ranging from homework to the county’s budget. Student Member of the Board John Mannes, a senior at Northwest, was also present to answer questions and moderate the event. Here is a quick rundown of some of the topics discussed:

No Child Left Behind

Starr said that although the intent of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act is positive and aims to give each child an education regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, socio-economic status or other outside influences, many public school systems, including MCPS, have gone about the act in the wrong way, placing too much emphasis on standardized tests which leave out other aspects of a student’s performance.

“If the only measure is how well you do on a standardized test, you miss so much about where kids actually need to be [in order to be] successful in the world,” said Starr. He added that the county needs to be more accountable for implementing and enforcing the act so that each student receives a solid education.

Student Concussions in School Sports

According to Starr, the county is executing a variety of measures in order to prevent student concussions, which include increasing knowledge and training to recognize the signs of concussions. In addition, he said he wants to facilitate tighter communication between parents and coaches about the symptoms of potential concussions.

“There are [also] some really strict rules about re-entering games and things like that that we’re adhering to,” he said. He added that the Board of Education is also looking to implement a new program that would test and record an athlete’s “neurological abilities” before entering a sport. These initial test results would serve as a baseline of comparison for similar testing that will be done when a student receives a concussion.These tests would help measure the effect of concussions, in addition to determining when athletes are ready to return to their respective sport. However, the high cost of these technologies may hinder the advancement of this new program.

College Readiness

Although more students now, than ever before, want a higher education following their graduation from high school, financing is an issue for many of their families. Starr said these students, some of whom are the first in their family to attend college, must be educated on the different aspects of college and the college application process, including the various scholarship opportunities. Starr also added that college is no longer “only for some kids.” He plans to further college readiness and knowledge by implementing a program called ACES (Achieving College Excellence and Success) for next year, which will send Montgomery College staff to MCPS high schools so that students will be able to receive information from their high school guidance counselors as well as staff members from a higher education institution.

“Absolutely, this is something that we’re very proud of,” said Mannes. “It’s definitely a great, innovative approach [and] direction for MCPS to be headed.”

County Budget

According to Starr, there has been a $2,000 decrease in “local taxpayer dollars,” which has gone on to affect students. While the county once spent about $11,500 per student four or five years ago, it now spends around $9,500. There has also been a decrease in the amount of state aid given to the county. Starr added that the county continues to grow by about 2,500 students per year, and that it must work to spend its decreasing budget more effectively. Additionally, there has also been an increase in the number of students receiving free or reduced-price meals in Montgomery County.

“We have more kids on free and reduced lunch in Montgomery County than D.C. has kids in its schools,” he said. “My hope is that [the council] will continue to see the value of investing in our schools, recognize that we’ve got a lot of work to do and we spend our money incredibly efficiently.”

Online Learning

Although Starr said he recognizes online learning as an opportunity for students, he does not have plans to shift learning completely online. There are currently many courses available online, some of which are not offered in schools, that allow students to enroll in unique classes they otherwise would not have the opportunity to take. Starr does not think MCPS is doing enough for online learning at the moment, and he recognized that there must be a balance between the two mediums of learning.

For more information and full video footage of the event, please visit www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/superintendent/student-townhall.