MiddleView

I find it interesting that in education the search for the silver bullet continues.  The dictionary defines silver bullet as a magical solution to a problem – Wikipedia calls it “an expectation that some new technology or practice will easily cure a major prevailing problem.”  The key words here are “magical” and “easily” – words that don’t generally come to mind as we work with school improvement issues.  Yet the quest continues to find the ideal grade configuration for middle school students, that perfect schedule that will satisfy everyone, or a wonderful, new reading (math, science, writing, etc) program that will get everyone up to grade level.

In the past several years, many larger urban school districts have hailed a move to K-8 schools as the solution to achievement issues at the middle level.  Yet the headline of an article in the January 16 issue of Education Week reads, “Evidence for Moving to K-8 Model Not Airtight.”  Reporter Debra Viadero continues to say emerging research shows that “determining once and for all what kind of grade configurations are best for students is still a complicated and unsettled matter.”  No silver bullet here.

Many middle schools seem to think that somewhere out there is a perfect schedule that will address all organizational and time issues confronting the school.  I’ve observed schools send out teams from school to school looking for a schedule they could bring back to their school to implement.  If that schedule exists, I don’t know of anyone who has found it.  Ideas gathered from other places are valuable, but the best schedules must be based on sound middle level philosophy and tailored to the individual needs of the students, staff, and community served.  There is no silver bullet in the scheduling world – instead it takes time, hard work, and compromise to reach a workable solution to scheduling issues.

There are many wonderful, effective programs in existence to help students achieve better in the content areas.  But over the years I’ve learned that these programs are only as effective as the educators who are implementing them.  I’ve observed districts spend large amounts of money for new curriculum but cut the professional development budget so teachers are not given the training and support necessary to effectively use the programs.  When it comes down to the bottom line, school improvement is really about people improvement and no curriculum program in and of itself is a silver bullet.

When will we learn that there is no “one size fits all” solution to the issues faced in today’s middle schools?  As leaders we must be careful not to place our hope in finding a single solution – that silver bullet - that will magically and easily solve our school improvement issues.  We must instead work collaboratively and collectively to share our knowledge and realize that our schools are as unique as the young adolescents we serve and our answers must grow out of that uniqueness.