In the ongoing national debate about middle schools, many—including teachers, parents, and policymakers—are questioning which configurations work best for those often-surly, hormonally-charged adolescents on the cusp of young adulthood. Some believe that middle school provides a suitable transition between nurturing elementary schools and competitive high schools. But others argue that the nurturing should continue through 8th grade, while many feel a grades 6-12 setup would focus kids on college and careers as early as possible.
What do you think? Are middle schools doing a good enough job educating their students, both emotionally and academically? Or should some kind of a two-tiered system (K-8/9-12 or K-5/6-12) be instituted nationwide? If not, what would you suggest?
