Deferred but Not Deterred: A Middle School Manifesto

Abstract

Before providing a historical perspective on level movement, examining its past successes and failures, and envisioning future improvements, I must declare my great admiration for our public schools. Although I am critical of certain recent developments, I believe that when historians look back on our civilization, they will point to our public school systems as America's greatest achievement. And today, in a climate of accountability, it is simply not fair nor appropriate to label public schools in United States as failures. Schools and teachers have been and still are America's greatest resource for good. What would we do without them? Public schools in United States evolved without benefit of a master plan. The elementary, secondary, and collegiate levels developed rather independently of one another. Elementary schools were not established first, and young men attended colleges such as Harvard long before we organized public secondary schools. America's school systems developed piecemeal over time and are still very much works in progress. By late 1800s, however, many states had organized elementary schools and high schools in an 8-4 pattern that would become standard as our country began to put its revolutionary vision of education for all American youth into practice. The still relatively young school movement is part of larger reorganization initiative that led to creation of junior high school in first decade of last century. The following four statements highlight relevant developments since then. * Exactly 100 years have passed since Indianola Junior High School, generally acknowledged as first junior high school, was established in Columbus, Ohio, in 1909. * In 1946, 37 years after junior high school was introduced, 6-3-3 pattern of school organization became predominant pattern in United States, replacing 8-4 plan. * In 1963, William Alexander, speaking at Cornell University, first advanced term middle This event, 46 years ago and just 17 years after junior high school had become majority practice, is commonly used to mark beginning of school movement. * By 1983, new 5-3-4 plan of organization, featuring a grades six through eight school, had become predominant pattern. The movement to reorganize secondary education that began in 1909 might, then, be judged as highly successful, for it actually changed face of American education twice in a century. The change to 5-3-4 pattern is particularly remarkable. Just 20 years after entering educational arena, number of 6-8 schools exceeded number of 7-9 junior high schools. That success, however, has been more in realm of school organization than in more critical programmatic areas so central in vision of both types of level organization. Although it is seldom acknowledged, it should be noted that junior high school advocated by its founders was to be, using contemporary term, a developmentally responsive institution. However, by mid-1960s junior high school was commonly viewed as failing. Captured by its parent, it had become what its ill chosen name implied - a junior high school. Could a somewhat similar conclusion be made about school today? And might it be said that junior high school was first school, or that school is simply today's version of junior high school? Or, that school movement is actually rebirth of progressive education? Like its predecessor, school has come under heavy criticism. Because many students do not reach targeted academic goals, it has been labeled the weak link in American education, primarily by those who believe school's primary responsibility is to prepare students for advanced high school courses, and who presume that school's concern for students as persons takes away from its academic responsibilities. …