The Future of Middle Level Education

      In my opinion the future of middle level education is dependent on teacher training.  We need to start with the basics on and continue on from there.  How are we suppose to create successful and student centered middle schools when we are preparing our teachers to instruct only at the elementary or secondary level?  Colleges and Universities need to step up and provide teacher certification programs so that we can properly prepare teachers to work with our young adolescents.  In addition to preparing future teachers we need to focus on our current practitioners as well.  Schools need to take advantage of professional development days and use them to go back to the basics of middle level education.  We need to focus on the student needs and make sure our educators are well aware of them.  We also need to take advantage of conferences and workshops and send our middle level educators to them so they can be inspired and return to the school to inspire their peers.
      In Lounsbury's article, he states "A major barrier to more widespread implementation of the middle level philosophy is the lack of understanding among the general public".  I think in order to have a successful future in middle level education, we need to address this.  We need to help parents and the community better understand the purpose and philosophy of middle level education.  We need to have events for parents to help them understand the changes going on in their young adolescent's development and we need to inform them on how we are helping and educating their child in the middle school.  We need to have the middle school be apart of the community so that the students can become more aware of the importance of community and so the community can better understand the importance of the middle school.
      I have an optimistic outlook on the future of middle level education.  As Lounsbury points out, the movement is still young and has come across some barriers.  However, as more research is discovered and more positive practices are created, I feel that middle level education will be very successful.