Quote:
Originally Posted by Taualumna
As I understand it, some places are getting rid of middle schools all together (I think Chicago is one of them), opting for K-8 for elementary and then high school (9-12).
Not sure if it's a great idea, unless the elementary schools have good facilities, especially for science classes...just a sink in the classroom won't do, IMHO, anyway. However, not all elementary schools are equipped.
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My old school district was like this. I personally think it is a bad idea. First off, 7-8 need a whole different set of rules than primary students do. Second, none of the schools in my former district are remotely able to accomodate for 7-8 students (meaning they don't have proper science labs, they don't have gyms for sports, etc...). I hate the "traditional" school approach.
It probably doesn't help my feelings when my former school the 7-8 graders got away with murder, they would cuss out teachers and be sent back to class, they wouldn't listen and follow directions to any teachers on the campus and the primary students saw this. It was very hard as a 1st than a 3rd grade teacher trying to tell my students what are proper ways to behave and then they saw these students that they looked up too, both figuratively and literally, behaving wretchedly. My former AP didn't really believe in discipline. Kids could have 10 referrals in a week and they would get a slap on the wrist. My principal had a much more strict sense of discipline but he actually told me, when I complained about the issues, that he didn't want to step on the AP's toes.
Those examples are why I don't like the K-8 schools, because most that I've seen are run exactly like this, no discipline, slaps on the wrists.
When I was in school I went to a k-6, 7-8 and then a 9-12. In AZ, depending on the district, there are still middle schools/junior highs around (which I'm glad). When I have kids, unless things change in the K-8 realm, I don't want them going to a K-8 setting.