NYT Middle School Article

The article Taking Middle Schoolers out of the Middle by Elissa Gootman is a debate on what settings might benefit the children more in school systems; k-8 schools or 6-12 grade schools. Many believe the 6-12 system allows the students to thrive around their older peers and be reminded of future goals, such as going to college. The system will allow the younger students to see the finish line, and excite them about being with the older students and going on to more education.
The k-8 option would nurture the students for three more years, and prevent them from making the harsh transition to a new school. Studies have shown that students in this system have done slightly better then the average student that age in a regular middle school. Students at that age are going through emotional, physical, and social changes. It’s important to keep them in a comfortable environment, instead of traumatizing them with new people, peers and school.

I personally believe that middle schools should not be taken out of the school district. I feel that the students enter the middle school before they start going through that emotional, physical and social changes. I believe that these students in 5-8 need their own system that helps them develop from the transition of elementary kids to high school students. If I had to choose between the two options of k-8 or 6-12, I would go with k-8. I believe it might stunt or change the student’s development. If I had to choose between the two, I would go with the system k-8. I feel that 6-12 systems will do more damage to students then good. I do not agree with the thought that students will thrive more around their role-models. Most high schooler’s are not good role-models, and I feel that the younger students would deal with more frustration because the lack of a support system, and would increase their chances of not finishing school. These students would spend more time on their own where they are not yet capable of knowing what is always right and wrong. The k-8 would give students that support system. Even though they would be babied, they would have more confidence and more discipline because they had the support.