Thursday,

September 2 5, 2 014 at 4 :07:37 PM Central Daylight Time

Subject: RE: GTAC...middle school food for thought

Date: Tuesday, July 16, 2013 at 2:04:11 PM Central Daylight Time
From:
To:
CC:

Troen, Steven
Plucker, Carl, Spychalla, Mary, McDonald, Pam, Wendor, Richard
Herem, David

InteresNng read Carl. Thanks for the arNcle. I appreciate your involvement in GTAC, and your dedicaNon to
both enrichment and intervenNon within the core classroom. No doubt, we need students with both the soR
skills and the technical knowledge. The quote you pointed out from the arNcle does ring true.

From: Plucker, Carl
Sent: Tuesday, July 16, 2013 10:57 AM
To: Spychalla, Mary; McDonald, Pam; Troen, Steven; Wendorff, Richard
Cc: Herem, David
Subject: GTAC...middle school food for thought

http://www.twincities.com/business/ci_23567711/what-employers-want-new-gradsadaptability-quick-thinking
Happy summer all!
brings.

I hope all are enjoying the slightly slower pace that summer

I saw and read this article and couldn't help but think about some to the
conversations we had at the most recent GTAC meetings. I think the language of
this article helps articulate what we as middle school educators recognize as
important for all learners. It is fostering these skills that make many of us
nervous about creating "Schools with-in schools" regarding Gifted and Talented
services. The more we place students in homogeneous groups the less "real
world" their experience becomes. Although this is not the belief of our
district leadership you couldn't be a part of those meetings and feel that this
isn't the direction that many parents of GT students would like to go as well
as the belief of some of the High School leadership. This snip-it from the
article really struck me. "Mona Mourshed, leader of the education practice at
the global consultancy McKinsey & Co., remembers one employer saying: " 'I have
never fired an engineer for bad engineering, but I have fired an engineer for
lack of teamwork' ... People have to work together. They have to collaborate.""
This article and some to the research that went into it may be helpful in
articulating what we are trying to do at the middle level as we continue to
develop best practices regarding instruction and assessment.
In my opinion what will make for a world class middle school experience: (not
in any specific order)
1. Students have an option to be in a few (1 or 2) "higher level" classes.
2. Continued focus on determining and engraining the district-wide Essential
Learning and Learning Targets so teachers can continue to work on true
differentiation in their instruction and foster multiple ways of student
articulation of their learning with the expectation and the freedom to enrich
when the standard is met.
3. Staff development. Continued or renewed focus on staff development in
meeting the needs of all students. Perhaps modeled after the training and
support received by Elementary teachers and the training and staffing that

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comes as part of the AP and Honors programs at the high school.

Thanks for looking at this article through the middle school lens (our reality
and our beliefs). I hope you continue to have a great summer as we gear up for
a fantastic 2013-2014 school year.
Thanks for letting me share.
Carl

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