Reimagining our DPS Middle School

The best way to repurpose $40 million!

Most of what Duane and I write is a call to action: mimic the Mississippi 3rd grade reading gate now, ban cell phones now, close one high school now, create more CTE opportunities for our DPS high school students now, etc. So, while this article is more theoretical, we still hope the concepts spark debate within the board and the district leadership team.

We, along with others involved and interested in Decatur Public Schools, have made the point that it’s time to close one of our high schools (see #2 here). We simply don’t, or won’t in a few more years, have enough high school-aged students to justify maintaining the facilities of two $40 million facilities and grounds. And this begs the question, what do we do with the remaining building? Our answer is simple: create one 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade middle school for the district in the big, beautiful building that is left. (It’s important to note here that we are not tied to the 6th-8th grade model for any empirical reasons. If a 7th-9th grade model works best, in terms of the building numbers, that should also be explored.) I’m sure the first thought from anyone familiar with our current DPS middle school structure will be, “No way! We have trouble keeping students in the district now when they are promoted to middle school because the single middle school building as it currently exists has struggled with test scores, violence, and teacher retention. If we close all the other 7th and 8th grades (John’s Hill, Dennis, etc.), won’t this only exacerbate the problem?” Well, we hear you. But give me a chance to make my case.

There are two main components to our plan:

1. Create a campus where the greatest emphasis is on students learning how to think. For this, we propose adopting a Kieran Egan educational philosophy (more below) in our new middle school where students will spend equal time between traditional and non-traditional classroom learning techniques.

2. While the non-traditional aspects of each student's learning will be in the heterogeneous type environment we have come to embrace over the last ten or twenty years; the traditional coursework - mathematics, literature, science, etc. - will be structured to allow the students that have been left behind in elementary school the opportunity to catch up, and the students that excel can continue to move at a faster rate.

Our Egan-like Philosophy

In our proposal, we would attempt to follow an “imaginative education” model developed by Kieran Egan in the 1970s and 80’s, by engaging 6th, 7th, and 8th graders through meaningful learning experiences. We would prioritize creating a curriculum that taps into students' innate curiosity and imaginations, fostering deep understanding and retention of knowledge by spending half of the school day (perhaps 4 out of 8 classroom periods) in non-traditional activities like music, literature discussions, chess clubs, creative arts, culinary arts, philosophical inquiry, coding and robotics, community service projects, etc., etc., etc. So along with teaching a normal curriculum, each teacher in our new school will be expected to lead another one of the non-traditional classrooms mentioned above.

Kieran Egan's philosophy on teaching and learning revolves around the idea of engaging students' imaginations and utilizing narrative frameworks to make learning more meaningful and enjoyable. His approach, known as the "Imaginative Education" approach, seeks to harness the natural curiosity and imaginative capacities of children to foster a deeper understanding of academic content. For children in the middle grades, Egan advocates for a shift in educational focus from the acquisition of skills and information to the development of understanding. He believes that this age group possesses a unique cognitive capacity for making connections and grasping abstract concepts, which can be effectively nurtured through the use of narratives, metaphors, and imaginative engagement. I can personally relate to this type of learning. When subjects are taught from a narrative perspective, I simply learn more. I recently read a book about Milton Friedmann and probably retained more economics knowledge from this one book than I did in my college Econ 101 class.

In our dream middle school, each grade level would be structured around overarching themes or "big ideas" that connect various subjects and disciplines, allowing students to make meaningful connections and see the relevance of their learning. For example, students might explore themes such as "Identity and Belonging," "Conflict and Resolution," or "Innovation and Change," integrating concepts from history, literature, science, and the arts. Students would be encouraged to discuss and form opinions on the large issues of our times and not shy away from debate. The curriculum would prioritize depth over breadth, allowing students to live inside their topics of interest and develop a deeper understanding of key concepts. Moreover, we want our new school to emphasize the importance of fostering students' emotional and social development, integrating social-emotional learning into the curriculum, and creating opportunities for meaningful relationships and community-building among students and teachers. The goal for this type of learning will be, even and especially for students who do not eventually continue toward a typical college tract high school curriculum, that they can form critical and informed opinions about their community and the world. 

Assessment in our middle school will focus on understanding students' strengths and challenges, rather than solely on standardized testing, allowing for a more holistic and authentic evaluation of student learning. Overall, our “Egan-esque” middle school design would prioritize fostering a love of learning, critical thinking skills, and personal growth in students, preparing them to flourish in whatever type of future they choose.

Extracurriculars will be a large part of our middle school experience. At a critical age when kids are “finding themselves”, we can provide the opportunity for these very young adults to grow and mature by experimenting with different activities. We imagine asking every student to participate in a music class and one team sport in our school. The music component would extend into core subjects like history, literature, and science and students would learn to embrace creativity and performance.

Through music they would learn about cultural diversity and global awareness, and whether through listening, performing, or composing – the power of music will help students develop emotional intelligence, empathy, and self-awareness.

Because these activities will be “taught” during the school day, we will have the ability to ask each student to participate in a team sport, like soccer, basketball, or volleyball to not only promote physical health but also teach important lessons in teamwork, communication, leadership, and sportsmanship. Cooperative games and challenges will be designed to encourage collaboration, problem-solving, and creativity among students.

The key will be to keep the students engaged in the process of learning. If done right, more students will want to come to school each day and participate in everything the school has to offer.

Our Homogeneous Philosophy

Each year the standardized test scores of our Decatur Public Schools trend down, but that, at least to us, is not the real problem.

While we struggle with:

• teacher retention which forces an increased reliance on too many substitute teaching days (we should have a full-time DPS employee on the road recruiting teachers),

• a reading accountability problem in the lower grades (which we believe could be helped dramatically with a 3rd-grade reading gate),

• a focusing problem (which would be helped by banning cell phones in the classroom),

the largest problem we have, as it relates to test scores, is that it is very easy for families that care about their child’s education to leave the district. I mentioned in a previous article that I would love to see a study on the correlation between urban school district test scores and the ease of a family leaving the school district. In Chicago, for example, it is very difficult both economically and socially for families to leave the Chicago school district, so they don’t, which then keeps the top students in the district. But in Decatur, it’s often as easy as moving the family several blocks to change school districts. So, what we have experienced is DPS is families with kids that have higher test scores leaving the district, which results in (of course!) lower district-wide test score averages.

The remedy for this problem is simple: allow top students to excel as early as possible by placing them in higher-level math and language arts courses, so their families want to stay put in District 61. But you just can’t do that if you only have one 7th-grade class in your school – like we have in several of the K-8 buildings. However, placing all the middle school students in one large school allows you to offer upper, middle, and lower-level math classes, for example, which provides the top kids the opportunity to excel.

Look folks, I know this sounds like a stretch of our district assets, but closing one high school should free up both financial resources and personnel giving us the unique ability to make this happen. Are we going to somehow, miraculously stop our downward trend by adding a new elementary building, or by hiring just the right type of curriculum director? We don’t think so – our problems run deeper than a few simple fixes. Duane and I realize this type of big, bold change is not the way things have been done in the past, but now is the time for brave initiatives. I’m sorry to tell you but unless things change dramatically, education in Decatur is going to get worse. Trends are trends. It seems clear to us that now is the time for a major change. Let's get busy.

Addendum

Duane and I have three education intellectuals whom we continue to return to in our discussions: Egan (make school meaningful and fun – flourishing children result), Roland Fryer Jr. (teacher and student incentives, data-driven instruction, and expectations are key), and Freddie DeBoer (socioeconomic factors outside of schools have an outsized impact on student achievement, and efforts focused solely on changing what happens inside classrooms are unlikely to make much of a difference). The three barely intersect and provide us with points and counterpoints for our ongoing arguments about what might work in Decatur Public Schools. If anyone ever wants to engage with us on these viewpoints, we’d love to hear from you.

And more on Egan, for anyone interested…

Egan proposes the use of "story forms" or "story genres" as a way to structure learning experiences. These story forms, such as the "Romantic" or "Heroic" narratives, provide a framework for students to explore complex ideas and concepts in a more engaging and relatable manner. By embedding academic content within these narrative structures, students can more easily grasp the underlying principles and make meaningful connections.

In his vision for middle-grade education, Egan emphasizes the importance of fostering a sense of wonder and intellectual curiosity. He advocates for creating learning environments that encourage students to ask questions, challenge assumptions, and explore diverse perspectives. This approach aims to cultivate a love for learning and a desire for intellectual growth that can carry students through their academic journey and beyond.

Regarding the importance of music discussion groups, Egan recognizes the power of music to evoke emotions, stimulate imagination, and create shared experiences. By engaging students in discussions about music, he believes that they can develop a deeper appreciation for art, culture, and the human experience. These discussions can also serve as a platform for exploring broader themes, fostering critical thinking, and cultivating empathy and social-emotional skills.

If you want to learn more about Kieran Egan’s educational philosophy, The Educated Mind: How Cognitive Tools Shape Our Understanding is an excellent starting point. And if you don’t want to read the entire book, here’s a book review that could be better than the book itself.