Chesterton Middle School is proud to be considered an “A” school under the
new grading guidelines established by the Indiana Department of Education.
At the same time, I have mixed feelings about this system. The grading
system fails to truly recognize what it takes to educate a child in today’s
educational environment. This system allows the public to simply skim the
local newspaper and pass judgment on schools by seeing an A-F grade.
This is unfortunate for all schools across the grading spectrum. Indiana’s
educators work too hard each day to simply have their job performance
measured by a standardized test. An education is more than just test prep
and testing. An education is about preparing our youth to become critical
thinkers and successful citizens in a challenging global economy.
Unfortunately, the current mandates of funding cuts, competition, and
standardized testing are forcing schools to put forth students who are great
test takers rather than great leaders. Public schools are the backbone of
this country. Schools should be well-funded entities that have unlimited
resources to ensure that all children are receiving a first class
educational experience.
At Chesterton Middle School, we are making a concerted effort to meet the
demands of the current educational environment. We are also working hard to
provide an optimal educational experience for the students who populate our
classrooms. Currently, we are reshaping our teaching practices to mirror the
concepts from the theory of multiple intelligences. This theory will allow
our teachers multiple “entry points” in lesson planning to meet the needs of
all learners. Chesterton Middle School’s teachers are reshaping their
pedagogy and moving away from the traditional methods of lecture and
regurgitation. The educators in our building are learning that we must value
our students as people who have talents and knowledge that can be tapped by
offering learning options within the classroom. Students can no longer be
seen as “sponges” that are filled with facts and squeezed out when the adult
needs those facts to reappear. Instead, students are young minds who have
valuable thoughts and feelings. These young minds can be molded and guided
in a direction that allows them to be free to express who they are in a
challenging educational setting.
Also, Chesterton Middle School is going into its second year of “Community
Nights”. These nights are sponsored by our academic departments, and allow
our community to experience Chesterton Middle School through a series of
activities. Last year we had over one thousand family, friends, and
community members enjoy these evenings. These evenings included activities
such as a snake handler, Chesterton Police K-9 demonstrations, rocket
launches, game shows, athletic competitions, guest speakers and presenters,
and contests. We look forward to seeing our community again this year, and
providing everyone with a fun and exciting learning experience for all
stakeholders who attend.
Again, we thank the Indiana Department of Education for recognizing our
school, but Chesterton Middle School will be putting forth an “A” effort
every day regardless of where we fall on the grading spectrum. Our first
community night is science and math night on October 18th from 6:30-8:00
p.m. Feel free to contact our school for further information about upcoming
events.