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With your varied background, what do you consider yourself first: a tech guy, a superintendent/educator, a lawyer, or a businessman?
JQP: It's kind of interesting: I have the law degree, but my design was never to be a lawyer but to be a better business owner. I would phrase it more like I'm a Renaissance man. I think I bring skills that touch a lot of areas-a tech savvy to the job-it's just a different perspective, a business perspective. I don't always think business is an elixir for all student systems. But being a lawyer [and] a business leader in the community has made me a more well-rounded deputy superintendent.
What's something people would be surprised to know about you?
JQP: If you met me [thoughtful pause]: I like fine things. I like expensive clothes, expensive cars. I collect pens. I collect Rolex watches. But my favorite place is 7-Eleven.
You're kidding.
JQP: No. I prefer 7-Eleven coffee over Starbucks, I love its sandwiches-it has everything.
That (kind of) leads to my next question about free time. Most deputy superintendents don't have any. What do you do if and when you get some?
JQP: I like shopping, for DVDs-I probably have 1,500-2,000 CDs and hundreds of DVDs. I don't have time to watch them, but I buy them. Things I like to do? I like to eat at fine restaurants: I try to find the top 10 in new cities I travel to. And I like to dance. It's the most relaxing thing I get to do."
What's your favorite tech gadget?
JQP: Oh, I have so many. My phone-I have the new Blackberry phone, and all the principals do, too; I like my XM radio. My tablet PC. My car [a black Mercedes Benz S430].
When did you become so interested in technology?
JQP: I've always liked gadgets. But when I was in my last year of law school at Ohio State, we were the pilot for Lexis-Nexis. It was called O-Bar [for "Ohio Bar"]. When I graduated, I was involved with technology, which was then called 'litigation support,' and I worked a lot with the use of document managers and in the very, very early stages of imaging.
Talk about MCPS as you would with a parent new to the system. What's its demographic, and what do you view as its strengths?
JQP: We are about rigor for students, about embracing, and celebrating, diversity. From 2000 to the present, the demographic has changed from a majority district to a minority-majority. There are 130 languages and students from 163 countries. This especially makes us stronger as a district rich in diversity. Even though the district is more diverse than it's ever been, students have scored the highest SATs in the district. We believe we are one of the best school districts in the country because all of our high schools are in the top 3 percent of high schools, according to Newsweek. Montgomery County and Fairfax are the only [districts] in the nation [with that distinction].
How has technology helped MCPS's accountability system?
JQP: It's at the core. If you look at [our] accountability group, what we've done is [create] the Integrated Quality Management System. And it has two components: First is the strategic-our management house, which combines our history, and allows us to pull information from the district. A lot of districts can't pull up employment data, HR data, [or learn] if a teacher has taken three or four courses in our district, and they attend 'X' college, [is there] a difference [in their performance] if they've taken our 'skillful teacher course?' To get the answer, we need to get information about their schooling. That to me is getting knowledge about [how] we can drive knowledge. And that's part of our accountability.
The second component is tactical. In that system, you can find state standings, and see how local standings map to our curriculum. You can see rich resources, demographics. You can also see state assessments, and how they've improved over time. Course information-you can see very quickly. That to me helps accountability: not teaching all kids the same way. In essence, creating individual assessments. We want to be in a position to target data and individual kids, and target instruction for them.
