Montgomery County Public Schools parents and staff are most concerned about special education services and the persistent achievement gap between white and minority students, according to a report from the school system. Superintendent Joshua Starr, now with a semester under his belt, heard about these concerns during 17 events held throughout the fall with more than 1,800 members of the community and school staff. He’s planning to hold forums and begin studies into these issues in the coming months.

In “The Listen and Learn Report,” Starr details parent and staff concerns about the academic performance of students, particularly among Hispanic and black students, students from low-income families, and students receiving English for Speakers of Other Languages services.