National Middle Level Education Month - March 2012

Recognizing our History

The middle level movement is generally considered to have started in 1963 when Dr. William Alexander delivered a speech at a conference on the junior high school that was being held at Cornell University. During this speech, he called for “a new school in the middle” to replace the “junior” version of high schools that was currently the norm for educating young adolescents. Dr. Alexander, along with Donald Eichhorn, John Lounsbury, Conrad Toepfer and Gordon Vars, are considered to be the founding fathers of this far reaching educational movement. 

Last spring an event recognizing and celebrating the accomplishments of middle level leaders was held in Milledgeville, GA. At that event, a publication entitled “The Legacy of Middle School Leaders, In Their Own Words” (Information Age Publishing) was released. The Legacy Project, spearheaded by Ken McEwin and Tracy Smith from Appalachian State University in North Carolina, preserved the history of the movement through interviews of significant leaders in the early field of middle level education, many of whom had, or still have, close ties with the work NASSP has done in the field of middle level education. 

Voices of Experience: Perspectives from Successful Middle Level Leaders

As an addition to the book Voices of Experience: Perspectives of Middle Level Leaders by Patti Kinney, NASSP associate director of middle level services and 2003 NASSP/MetLife National Middle Level Principal of the Year, and Sue Swaim, executive director emeritus of the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE), NASSP offers the following interviews with 13 highly regarded middle level leaders sharing their thoughts and experiences on a range of important topics.

Leading an Urban School Podcast with Jim Dierke
Leading from the District Level Podcast with Annette Fante
Leading as a Teacher Podcast with Theresa Hinkle
Leading for Change Podcast with Ned Kirsch
Leading for Community Support Podcast with Doug Lowery
Leading from the Classroom Podcast with Nancy Poliseno
Leading Second Language Learners Podcast with Juan Rodriquez
Leading as an Assistant Principal Podcast with Hilca Thomas
Leading for Middle Level Practices in a K-8 School Podcast with Bill Truesdale
Leading for Continuous Improvement Podcast with Ed Vittardi
Leading for Literacy Podcast with Terry Wolfson

Middle Level Month...All Year Long

While March is the “official” month to celebrate middle level education, we really need to be advocating for middle level education all year long. Here are a few ideas to consider:

• Get the word out that your middle school is doing good things for students. Develop a few message points you want to share about your school. Put them on business cards for the staff, on your fax cover sheet, on your website, in parent newsletters, etc.
• Develop a brochure “50 Great Things about Our Middle School” and distribute it at registration, open house, conferences, etc. Give copies to your district office and the local realtors to pass on to those considering moving into your attendance area.
• Host a breakfast or lunch for your local realtors – give them a tour of the schools and share programs that you are proud of. They are often the ones asked questions about the schools in the area.
• Keep your superintendent and board informed of effective middle level practices. Pass on articles or websites you think would interest them. Invite district office personnel to attend a middle level conference with you. Offer to share results of a successful program at a school board meeting – and bring along students to help with the report! Send board members copies of your school newsletter.
• Invite a student to join you at a civic club meeting. Help civic organizations feature students at their meetings. Encourage student performance groups to reach out to community organizations for meeting programs.
• Build a relationship with your local media. Find out who is in charge of the education news and ask them how they want you to keep them informed of happenings at your school.
• Stay in contact with your state representatives. Invite them to visit your school to speak with classes during the off session.
• Spread your message in the form of op-ed articles in your newspapers or in letters or emails written to state representatives. Make your written communications personal. Facts and figures can be impressive but a story about how those facts impact the students in your school will make a more lasting impression.

This is not a time to be shy or modest! If we want the general public to understand what quality middle level education is all about, then we need to draw attention to the many good things that are happening in countless middle level schools across the country.

We strongly encourage you to use the information below throughout the year with special attention to March, National Middle Level Education Month. After all, what we are really trying to do is continually develop and maintain supportive public attitudes toward middle level education.

NASSP is happy to provide the following materials to assist you in your efforts:

• A proclamation
• A list of suggested activities for observing the month
• A parent letter
• A sample speech
• Bibliography: Middle Level School Restructuring (.pdf)
• Bibliography: Transitional Programs to Middle Level School (.pdf)
• Bibliography: Transitional Programs from Middle Level School to High School (.pdf)

Additional Resources

NASSP encourages members to look into these national programs that are available to middle schools to participate in during the month of March:

March 2, 2011
NEA's Read Across America
http://www.nea.org
Started in 1998 as a way to get kids excited about reading, NEA's Read Across America has become the nation's largest reading event. The year-round program culminates each year on or near Dr. Seuss's birthday (March 2).

March 1-31
American Red Cross Month
http://www.redcross.org/
A time to commemorate the American Red Cross involvement in domestic disaster relief, community services that help the needy; support and comfort for military members and their families; the collection, processing and distribution of lifesaving blood and blood products; educational programs that promote health and safety; and international relief and development programs.

March 1-31
Music in Our Schools Month
http://www.menc.org
Sponsored by the National Association for Music Education to communicate the importance of music in the learning experience of all students.

March 1-31
National Nutrition Month
http://www.eatright.org
Sponsored annually by the American Dietetic Association to promote the importance of healthful eating and physical activity habits all year long.

March 1-31
Youth Art Month
http://www.acminet.org/
Sponsored by the Council for Art Education to emphasize the importance of art activities and encourage schools and youth groups to support their art programs.