D.C. Mulls A Return To Pre-K-8 Schools

Washington Post ^ | December 30, 2007 | V. Dion Haynes

[Fiji Hill]

In her book The War Against Excellence--The Rising Tide of Mediocrity in American's Middle Schools (Greenwood, 2003), Cheri Pierson Yecke presents a solid case against "egalitarian" approaches that are in vogue in many of today's middle schools.

[Tijeras_Slim]

This is the D.C. school system.

Any changes are the proverbial re-arranging of deck chairs on the Titanic.

[bill1952]

>‘The idea of middle school was supposed to be that teachers there were uniquely qualified to address the social and emotional needs of adolescents, in addition to teaching them subject matter.

LOL! Oh my, this could take awhile. LOL! Bawahahaha. uniquely qualified

We don't need teachers to address the the social and emotional needs of adolescents,

We need this: teaching them subject matter.
But that doesn't interface with the agenda, now does it?

[ladyjane]

The middle school students "show a lack of respect to adults and to younger students. . . . They run through the hallways and use vulgar language," Jenkins-Parris said.

Only if they are allowed to behave that way.

[proxy_user]

Our education system will never do that.

Our fundamental mistake is to take the easy way. In a proper education system, small children of six, seven, and eight years old would spend little time at formal education, and a lot of time playing and learning informally. The time for hard study and learning would be between ten and fourteen.

But because small children are mallable and obedient, we put them to hard study at a young age. Then, when they reach puberty and feel like rebelling, we let them run wild.

[suijuris]

I tend to like the junior high concept, where most students are taught by teachers certified in a specific subject, rather than in "middle grades education" but the article says there is little research to support a particular approach.

Research is hard to find, but the empirical data is here. I live in supposedly one of the best school districts in Ohio. I fought like hell when the school system decided to depart from the junior high concept and build a large middle school.

The dirty little secret is that more than 50% of 9th grade students earn failing grades their first year at high school. Fortunately most are able to get it together by 10th grade, but there is something very wrong with this academic nosedive in the ninth.

Three years of junior high prepared one to be more responsible because it was more structured like a like school and promoted individual responsibility.

The group hugging concept, coddling and phsychovbable by the counselors at the the middle school is a grand waste of time and money.

[Tanniker Smith]

More schools are moving that way. A public school in my area that was undercrowded switch to PK-8 (it only has 7th graders so far) and it's goal is to eventually be a PK-12 school (I don't think that will happen).

NY state has some funny issues to work out anyway. In NYC, there used to be Middle Schools, Intermediate Schools and Junior High Schools, and I couldn't tell exactly what the difference was, except that, I think, JHS schools were 7-9. Most of those transitioned to 6-8. However, you need a different teacher license to teach sixth graders than to teach 7-12. I worked in a school with kids that I wasn't allowed to teach, which made life interesting when I had coverages.

[Amelia]

I like the ideal of the small, neighborhood school where teachers, parents, and administrators know each other and meet at the grocery, church, and community events. I think a greater degree of trust and knowledge among all concerned leads to better results.

Around here, there is still some of that atmosphere in the smaller counties, but most of the neighborhood schools are no longer neighborhood schools for most children since integration.

[bill1952]

>But because small children are mallable and obedient, we put them to hard study at a young age

There is the salient point of your post, and a great one, at that.

Allow me to share a post of mine and an old essay on point:

And America expected what from the NEA and the American educational system?

To teach math, science, reading, writing, and the pride and dignity of the values of Western civilization and America’s stunning achievements in the world?

No sir. It is all multicultural, diversity training, and the loving embrace of every perverted and disgusting habit of man.

Sorry, students haven’t gone through twelve years of public school for nothing.

They’ve learned one thing and perhaps only one thing during those twelve years.
They’ve forgotten their algebra, they’ve grown to fear and resent literature, they write like they’ve been lobotomized, but Jesus, can they follow orders!

Students don’t ask that orders make sense because they gave up expecting things to make sense long before they left elementary school.

Things are true because the teacher says they’re true.
Outside class, things are true to your tongue, your fingers, your stomach, your heart.
Inside class, things are true by reason of authority, and that’s just fine because you don’t care anyway.

Miss Wiedemeyer tells you a noun is a person, place or thing, so let it be.
You don’t give a rat’s ass; she doesn’t give a rat’s ass.

The only important thing is to please her, and that lesson follows right through College. - cooperate and graduate as your professors tear down everything good and noble in American history to replace it with their “agenda for change.”

Back in kindergarten, you found out that teachers only love children who stand in nice straight lines.
And that’s where it’s been at ever since.

Nothing changes except to get worse - those students now vote as they are ordered to vote, and believe what the MSM tells them to believe.

The Matrix is here.

A great job of ruining America by the NEA and the public education system.

Thank you for your time. - Bill

[M0sby]

Around here, most of the Catholic Schools are K-8...and those kids sure seam to go on to High School just fine.
Of course, the discipline expectations of the Catholic Schools AND the parents of those children is higher. So, perhaps that is a big reason.

We are currently in a K-6 school. It is a really GREAT school
But there is a k-8 in our area that is even better.
We are considering making that move.
We’ll see!

[leda]

our schools have a very unique configuration. we have a
total of 4 schools for our 2.2 sq mi town. our youngest
is in the prek-1st grade school. the next up is 2nd-4th
grades. after that the kids start middle school in the
newest building. that building is truly amazing too, btw.
5th-7th grades are taught there. then they move into high
school at 8th grade. now that may seem odd, but the majority
of our 8th graders are taking one or more courses for high
school credit.

the two lower buildings bother me the most, but that may
just be because of my personal history here. when i was
in school here, i attended school in the prek-1 building.
i went there from kdg until 6th grade. so part of me would
like to see both elementary buildings set up as prek-4th
buildings.

back to d.c. though...i’m truly skeptical about putting k-8th
grade d.c. public school students in the same building.
personally, i do not think that would be a good learning
environment for those children.

[Amelia]

A great job of ruining America by the NEA and the public education system.

At one point in time, teaching students to be on time and follow orders was what the factory owners wanted, wasn't it?

Make good little industrial employees out of them...except now all the good industrial jobs are going overseas.

[Amelia]

Of course, the discipline expectations of the Catholic Schools AND the parents of those children is higher. So, perhaps that is a big reason.

I wouldn't doubt that.

Also, is it a very small community, and/or is the Catholic community close-knit? I would think that might make a difference as well.

[Amelia]

Where I grew up (back before kindergarten was part of the public schools), after integration we had a grade 1-2 school, a 3rd grade school, a 4-5 grade school, a 6th grade school, a junior high, and a high school. Before that, the white community and the black community had neighborhood elementary schools.

The K-8 configuration might work in D.C. if the schools are strong neighborhood schools, with lots of parental interaction and tough discipline standards. If the children feel they belong to a community at the school, the extra support may help.

I'm leery, though.

[leda]

geez! that's 6 different schools on the way to graduation!
maybe it's just me, but i think that's alot of transitions
for little ones. 4 different schools just in the elem grades?

The K-8 configuration might work in D.C. if the schools
are strong neighborhood schools, with lots of parental
interaction and tough discipline standards. If the children
feel they belong to a community at the school, the
extra support may help

alot of "ifs" there make me more than a tad skeptical...

[M0sby]

“Also, is it a very small community, and/or is the Catholic community close-knit? I would think that might make a difference as well.”

Not small at all. Seattle area...(Shoreline, WA..used to be part of Seattle)
The 3 Catholic high schools in the area are really good...so the feeder schools are good (have to be) also...

But I don’t really know if the Catholic community is close-knit..compared to other Catholic communities...it always seems like they are...

[Katya]

most private schools are still set up on this model. As to the concerns that the older kids can badly influence the younger ones... depending on the management of the schools this could be positive or negative. The younger ones have the ability to soften the older ones, and in return the older ones have the opportunity to lead. But private school settings are controlled environments where not every potential pupil is welcome or accepted.