Think back to your middle school yearbook picture – do you cringe a little bit? Do you remember a hormone-filled, socially awkward period of your life where your mind has developed faster than your body... or maybe the other way around. Ages 11 to 14 can also be a time of intellectual and emotional awakening for young people – when they discover their talents and interests and meet lifelong friends.
In Kansas City, the KC Public Schools have been looking at redesigning middle school programs – in the past five years, the district has moved middle schoolers into elementary schools, then into high schools, and is now considering re-opening stand alone middle schools. In this episode we take a broader look at middle school education with Scott Carr, from the Liberty School District, Mike Brown, Assistant Superintendent of Platte County and Dru Tomlin, director of middle level services at the Association for Middle Level Education.
