[madprof98]

The main beneficiary of the "middle school concept" has been the teachers' unions. Taking kids out of elementary school at the point of puberty and sticking them together in Hormone High just invited them to act wild and grow up before their time. But it gave plenty of teachers an opportunity to advance their careers with new certifications, titles, and cash benefits.

It was obvious from the first what was happening. But school boards, beholden to the teachers' unions, continued to invest millions in huge facilities packed with out-of-control 13- and 14-year-olds whose needs and whose very names were generally unknown to the various educational "specialists" running the place. This madness cannot end too soon.

What we need is what we used to have--small neighborhood schools where kids of varying ages know one another personally and are known personally by teachers and administrators.

[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.