Caught in the Middle

By Bob Bruesch

California Middle School Credential

The development of the Junior High began nearly 90 years ago as an offshoot of Dewey Progressivism. Many school districts embraced the idea that a separate, "preparatory" school for high school was essential so that young children could transition from the play of the elementary grades to the rigors of a high school curriculum. Yet, while many reformers used Deweyisms to confirm the need for middle schools, they ignored his call for such schools to be "exploratoriums", a place where maturing students could delve into unfamiliar curricular areas such as vocational education and fine arts as they honed their basic "Three R's" skills.

Our approach to the junior high has been, at best, indecisive throughout the years. Some districts embraced the concept, some did not. The grades placed within the new schools were left up to the local authorities, so we still have several configurations of the junior high school (7-8, 6-8, 5-8, 5-7). Sadly, we don't even have an agreed upon name for the institution + Junior High, Middle School, or Intermediate School. And what about the die hards who maintain that K through 8 Elementary Schools are still the most efficient?

The ambivalence shown by our state towards these middle grades has been endemic for decades. For almost forty years, a teacher could actually receive a Junior High Credential in California. We've had several exhaustive studies concerning the failures of our middle schools, including Bill Honig's 1985 "Caught in the Middle" a voluminous two year report on middle school reform. Sadly, we are still seeking answers as to why "we lose them" in the middle schools.

Middle school teachers will relate to you the unpredictability of teaching early adolescents, kids who are different people every day. These students need to be challenged and encouraged to try new paths to learning but they are often too insecure to do so. They want to participate in social activities but worry continually if they "fit in" with peers. They act as both children and young adults, frequently at the same time. They want to be complimented but don't want to be singled out. And, since the state is (rightly so) requiring an increasingly demanding curriculum in these grades, many Middle School students are bewildered by the complexity of that curriculum. Is it any wonder that many, if not most, teachers avoid teaching in these grades, saying that they "... don't want to be thrown into that briar patch"? Why should they want to when the teaching of these all-important grades is demeaned by the lack of a Middle School Credential requirement.

Sadly, California is only one of four states nationwide that do not have a "junior high" credential or certification. The two-credential system in our state is so antiquated that most schools districts must participate in an arcane process each year to make sure that each of their middle school teachers possesses the correct amount of college credits in the subject area they teach. If they do not have the required credits, the district must pass through a legal labyrinth of applying for waivers for those teachers so they can continue teaching in the Junior High. This yearly exercise is caused by the fact that a teacher can teach in a Middle School with either an Elementary (multi subject) OR a High School (single subject) Credential!

Some of the most gifted teachers I have met throughout many years of teaching have been Middle School teachers. They are creative, energetic, committed to their students, and they generally possess a great sense of humor. They organize interactive activities for their classrooms yet maintain effective control of the exuberance of their charges. They involve their students in projects meaningful to them as youngsters yet replete with skills and knowledge they will need as adults. They are capable of breaking up a complex curriculum into small bits consumable by their easily distracted students. In spite of all this California still don't legitimize their efforts and doesn't recognize their skill by offering them the specialized training and certification they need and deserve.

If we truly wish to not "lose them in the middle grades", we must channel resources into the junior highs + guide exemplary teachers into these grades by offering a credential designed to give then the skills to do so! Give them a firm foundation in child development and counseling PLUS a strong training in an academic field. Teachers so trained could teach in any configuration of grades and our Middle Schools would be the places of excellence that No Child Left Behind has demanded.