WAMU 88.5
: The Kojo Nnamdi Show 
A year after taking the helm of Montgomery County Public Schools, Superintendent Josh Starr talks about deciphering new report cards, boosting teachers' pay, interpreting standardized tests and dealing with passionate parents in one of the nation's top-performing school districts.
Video: Inside The Studio
Joshua Starr, head of public schools in Montgomery County, Md., criticized the "apparent national obsession" with standardized testing. Starr said standardized tests are an overly simplistic measure, and that schools need to emphasize creativity, problem solving and effective communication. "I am concerned that there are those out there who believe [standardized tests] are equivalent to a profit and loss statement," Starr said. He added that the county's new curriculum will help reconcile the academic achievement gap.
Fictional 'Mothers' Reveal Facts Of A Painful Adoption Process
After years trying to conceive, novelist Jennifer Gilmore and her husband decided to adopt. What they thought would be a relatively simple process was instead a long and painful one. In her latest novel, Gilmore channels these autobiographical experiences into fiction.In Raw Milk Case, Activists See Food Freedom On Trial
Activists say the case against Wisconsin dairy farmer Vernon Hershberger is about raw milk — and much more. His supporters have turned the case into a rallying cry for personal food freedom and the rights of farmers and consumers to enter into private contracts without government intervention.Lois Lerner's Brief And Awful Day On Capitol Hill
The IRS bureaucrat showed up long enough at a House hearing into the scandal engulfing her agency to declare her innocence and her constitutional right to say no more.How That 'Nigerian Email Scam' Got Started
You've probably seen it in your inbox before: Someone who claims to have come into a fortune needs your help. You can share in the profits — if you send along a deposit or your bank account number. Boston Globe correspondent Finn Brunton talks about the history of the "Nigerian prince" or "419" scam, which actually got its start long before email.Leave a Comment
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