Earlier this week, Patch caught up with Dr. Joshua Starr for an interview asking him to reflect on and evaluate his first year as MCPS superintendent.

Starr said he felt good about Year No. 1 and was optimistic about the future.

"I think that I’ve been doing pretty well," Starr said. "It’s been a pretty good first year I’d have to say."

The superintendent touted the county's high test scores and graduation rates, the work of the Montgomery County Board of Education and the new Curriculum 2.0 program, among other things. But Starr said he was most pleased by the staff taking a step back to truly evaluate its progress.

"I think one of the greatest successes of the school year from my vantage point has been the kind of collective deep breath we’ve been taking to sort of slow down a little bit," Starr told Patch.

"Not to slow down on the urgency that we feel for the achievement of our kids, but to stop and talk with each other and listen to each other. How do we collaborate? How do we learn together? Let’s introduce some new ideas... I think one of the great things that you get when you have a new leader is they have the opportunity to stop and reflect."

SPEAK OUT: What do you think about Dr. Starr's first year as MCPS superintendent? Give him a grade in our poll and explain in the comments why you think he deserved it.