NYT Middle School Article

This article talks about two different approaches to schooling which both aim to get rid of one major transition for students. One side of the argument calls for a switch from the traditional Elementary, Middle School, and High School form of education to a K-8, 9-12 set-up. The other side suggests a switch to a K-5, 6-12 system. The first intends to keep a sense of stability for kids as they approach he tough stages of puberty. They would have 9 years in the same school during those years to act as a constant as they experience change in every other aspect of life. The second idea would serve the purpose of a longer time for college preparation. These advocates want more than the traditional 4 years to get kids ready for college and believe that 6th grade is the time to start this path.
At the moment, I don't really have a preference between the two. I strongly agree that something has to be done about Middle School or Jr. High School settings because personally that was the worst time in my eduaction. I felt that 2-3 years in one school was disruptive to my learning more than anything and making those transitions in such a short amount of time was really traumatic. If I had to choose, I would opt for the K-5, 6-12 set-up. I think that college is a huge aim nowadays and that it would be beneficial for kids to start thinking about it as early as possible. Also, I think that 6th graders are too old to be kept with 6 and 7 year olds and would be better off with older kids. As a Secondary teacher, I wouldn't mind having access to those kids for a longer period of time in order to give them that much more skill before they apply to college.