- By Dan Veaner
- Opinions
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But I thought I was hearing more people up in arms about the process of the decision making than about the actual idea of moving the 5th grade. That bothered me. I understand people wanting more input or better communication. I also understand how the mandate to move the district office by August seemed to make the timing critical. I am now trying to separate how much of the uproar was about doing what's best for our kids and how much was about protecting the status quo.
With two kids in Middle School I've already gone on record saying that I think 5th grade is too young. The other day I told Principal John Gizzy that he'd never convince me that kids at that level are old enough. He replied, "Give me twenty minutes to convince you." I don't think he can, but I am willing to give him the opportunity. The thing is that I thought my own kids were too young at the time, and their experiences seemed to bear it out. My kids were fearful of the move before it happened, and excited about it when they actually started Middle School. That would have been true a year later.
There's all the running around from class to class, multiple teachers, learning to be organized, the agenda, and the issue of being the youngest kids in a pool of students where the other kids are going through major developmental and emotional changes. Sure, it's great for some kids, not so great for others. That's why objective research is so important.
Superintendent Mark Lewis says that the research is not conclusive. Evidently some supports the notion that 5th graders are more developmentally simpatico with the younger grades than they are with their older, hormonal counterparts. Some doesn't. Lewis also said that the decision came, in part, from the urging of Ad Hoc Facilities Committee members who challenged him and the Board of Education to think "outside of the box" when solving challenges in the district.
I think I heard two things from the teachers. One is that there are many logistical challenges if the 5th grade is to be moved in terms of support programs and resources. The second is that they are already working on a plan to address concerns about how the Middle School schedule and program can be improved to better serve not only the 5th graders, but all their students.
I applaud that, but I wonder if they are thinking inside or outside of that box. It sounded to me that in their minds moving the 5th grade isn't even an option. I'm not saying that it will necessarily turn out to be the best solution, even though in my gut I think it would be. I'm just saying that everything should be on the table when making decisions that could improve our kids' educational experience.
We all talk about what a great school system we have here. I happen to think that. It is imperative that we don't rest on our laurels, though. Part of the decision to place classes is clearly based on where we have room to put them. But with the apparent flexibility in space we now have, we should start from what is best for the kids and see where that leads us. We should be concerned by how these decisions are made, but we shouldn't be distracted by that. The whole point is the kids.
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