Mr. Starks is a Subject Expert Teacher in our English faculty, focused on Grade 8 instruction and the Literary Magazine. He graduated from Colby College with honors in English and played Varsity Baseball. Mr. Starks continued to receive his MFA in creative writing from Hollins University, where he also led undergraduate writing seminars. While at Hollins, Mr. Starks received the Gertrude Claytor Poetry Prize from the Academy of American Poets.​​​​‌‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‌​‍​‍​‍​​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍​‍‌‍​‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍‍‌‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌‌​​‍‌‍‌​​‌‌‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‌​‍‌‌​​​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌​​‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‍​‌‌​​‍‌‌‌‌‌​‍‍‌‌​‌‌‍‌‌‌​‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‍‌‌​‍‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​​‍​‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍​‍‌‌

Before BASIS Independent Brooklyn, Mr. Starks worked as a school administrator in East Harlem, where he also coached the lacrosse team. In addition to teaching English and the Literary Magazine, Mr. Starks started our Baseball Program for middle and high school.