[Cluey]

I think the point that is being missed is the difference in students in middle grades. They're stuck at an in-between age and learn completely differently. They want their teachers to love them, but they also want so desperately to grow up. It is because of all of these intangibles that the middle school theory was developed.

I think about middle school as a bridge between elementary and high school. For some students, it is their first time learning to juggle different subjects with several different teachers with different teaching styles.

Will you turn out to be a three-headed monster if you are not in a middle school? No, I don't think anyone is saying that. But, if you have the opportunity to make the transistion from elementary school to high school a little easier, why not do it? I think that sometimes we get so caught up with the idea that the way we grew up was great that we lose focus that there is always room for improvement.

If you want more information on the middle school concept, read one of the many books by Paul George. He's been on the cutting edge of middle school since the 1980s.