Finding the humanity in policy work: A teacher educators’ response to the 2023 AMLE policy agenda

Suicide is listed as the second leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10 and 14 (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2023). In 2021, this statistic hit home with the loss of my nephew, at the beginning of his middle school journey. As I grapple with the devastating reality of his passing, I find myself pausing to consider how the work I do as a middle level scholar, advocate, and educator can support young adolescents like my nephew in those middle school years. I am convinced now more than ever that young adolescents need schools that can meet their unique needs across multiple domains (i.e. physical, intellectual/cognitive, moral, psychological, social-emotional, and spiritual). In doing this, schools can play a role in combating the mental health crisis of our youth (Hesson & Kode, 2022; Hinkelman, 2020; McKenna, 2021) while continuing to support the academic demands of schooling in the middle grades (Falbe, 2014; Mertens & Falbe, 2021). It is with this lens that I analyze the Association for Middle Level Education’s (AMLE) Middle Level Policy Agenda.

Why do we need a national policy agenda?

Rooted in the belief that development in the young adolescent years is unique and deserves spaces, schools, teachers, and structures that support this development, middle schools can be a pivotal component in nurturing the holistic growth of students (Bishop & Harrison, 2021). Yet, despite what we know about development, middle level education has yet to take its place as a permanent part of the educational landscape in America (Ellerbrock, Falbe, et al., 2018). When you look at teacher licensing in the US it is clear that there is not one way that we think of middle school. The grade configuration and certification codes for middle level licensure differ significantly across states encompassing various combinations such as K–6, K–8, 6–12, 7–12, 4–8, 5–12, 5–8, 5–9, and 6–8, many of which do not isolate the young adolescent years in any significant way (Ellerbrock, Main, et al., 2018; Howell et al., 2018). While grade bands are not definitive markers of middle schools (Ellerbrock, Main, et al., 2018), in my experience as a teacher educator, the wider the grade band, the less coursework and attention devoted to the unique developmental needs of young adolescents ages 10–15. These grade licensure bands are not only inconsistent across states, but they are also not static. In many states, it seems that the middle level teaching license is on the cutting room table each legislative session, as policymakers are looking at teacher shortages and making uninformed decisions, believing that by increasing the grade bands, teachers are more flexible and able to meet the needs of different age groups (Roberts & Pachnowski, 2020). This shortsightedness solves one problem but creates a multitude of others, namely teachers that are not prepared to meet the developmental or the content needs of the young adolescent students they are teaching.

Noticing the humanity in AMLE’s policy agenda

We cannot treat educational policy like a game of Tetris. There is more to policy work than problem solving. Policy making is human work. It must be dynamic, intentional, and rooted in the needs of the people it impacts. In the middle level, these people are young adolescent students who are undergoing more developmental changes than in almost any other time in their life (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2019). This period of adolescence, compounded by the stresses of the ongoing pandemic, has placed a burden on young adolescent students (Office of the Surgeon General, 2021). That burden extends to those responsible for the well-being of young adolescents like teachers, administrators, school personnel, and families.

When I look at AMLE’s policy agenda I see more than a collection of bureaucratic directives, I see the people that the policy was written to support. I see a collective call to prioritize the well-being of young adolescents. This perspective comes from my own personal connections—the loss of my nephew, my former middle school students, the teacher candidates I mentor, and the young faces in my own family, like my son, who will 1 day take a seat in a middle school classroom. In the seven proposed policy priorities, AMLE has put forth a policy agenda that is representative of their members while keeping middle school students at the forefront.

AMLE’s dedication to young adolescents is clear in all seven policy points, but most apparent in policy priority four, address the mental health crisis. While there is no one size fits all fix to this crisis, AMLE’s call to increase federal efforts is much needed. Requests for more counselors, access to student services, Medicaid, and other mental health services meet young adolescents where they are, at school. In addition, this approach is in line with middle level practices that advocate for school environments that are welcoming, inclusive, and affirming for all, and the tenant that an adult advocate should guide every student’s academic and personal development (Bishop & Harrison, 2021). More adults in the building can go a long way in sustaining these important practices.

Middle level educators are also central to the plan. Policy priority two, expand professional development funds, priority three, Grow the education workforce, and priority five, support innovation, each move toward legitimizing and professionalizing the important work that middle level educators do. While these priorities equally center young adolescents (young adolescents deserve adults in the building who enjoy and appreciate working with this age group), naming teachers and finding ways to support them is crucial as we find ourselves losing great teachers to burnout and dissatisfaction (Kurtz, 2022).

Identifying hopes for the implementation of the policy agenda

My impressions of the policy agenda are overall positive. I have had the opportunity to serve on the AMLE Advocacy Committee for the past 3 years and have seen the policy agenda take shape from just an idea to the set of policies that are published today. As AMLE begins to roll out the policy agenda, I look forward to seeing how the organization not only communicates these policies to legislators but also supports their membership and takes up these important pursuits as part of its own work and mission.

In the policy proposals, I noted an emphasis on equity and diversity. Decades of research in the middle level have generalized the experiences of young adolescents giving little attention to how factors such as race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and cultural background intersect with middle level education to inform equitable and inclusive practices (Bishop & Harrison, 2021; Brinegar, 2015; Harrison et al., 2019). I urge the organization to tell the stories of diverse middle school populations as they advocate to ensure each of the policies meets the unique needs and experiences of students from various backgrounds. I am looking forward to seeing how AMLE investigates (or supports the investigation of) the unique needs and experiences of diverse middle school populations.

Additionally, I also look forward to seeing how AMLE continues its commitment to teacher well-being and mental health. Teachers cannot take care of students if they are overworked, underpaid, and burnt out. As a middle level advocate, I believe that teachers who are well supported can better connect with and advocate for the students in their classrooms. In my role as a teacher educator, I want teacher candidates entering the field to prioritize their well-being, prevent burnout, and foster continuous personal and professional growth. AMLE is well positioned to do this and already has many great programs for new and veteran teachers. I hope they continue to use these programs as channels for ongoing member dialogue, ensuring that the policy recommendations remain responsive and adaptive to the evolving needs of our profession.

Finding my place in the work of the policy agenda

Organizations like AMLE do their work with and for its many members. I have been a member of AMLE for nearly 20 years since I was a teacher candidate. As a longtime member of AMLE, I recognize that this policy agenda is a shared endeavor, requiring the commitment and action of its many members. As a middle level teacher educator and researcher, I see my role within the proposed policy agenda as multifaceted. As a scholar, I appreciate the ways that the policy agenda centers research and evidence-based practices. I notice in each of the policy proposals a commitment to research, research-based practices, and support to make this happen. I see many overlaps between the lines of my own research agenda and the policy priorities of AMLE, particularly as it has to do with advocating for responsive teacher education in the middle grades, and the ways that middle school structures support young adolescents across domains.

As a teacher educator, I am committed to preparing future middle level teachers who are aware of the principles advocated for in the agenda and who have the tools to engage themselves in policy and advocacy work. I plan to integrate the agenda’s priorities into coursework for teacher candidates, emphasizing the importance of developing a deep understanding of middle school students and middle schools. I want my teacher candidates to know that being a middle school teacher is important and unique to other teaching fields. In my work in the classroom, I will continue to create learning experiences for students that not only align with research in the field but also translate effectively into the everyday experiences of middle level educators and students, knowing that AMLE is committed to supporting these teachers in innovative instruction and best practice (Falbe & Smith, 2022). I want teacher candidates to enter the field with an understanding that there are deep systemic issues in education, but that we can play a practical role in how these are addressed. I appreciate that the policy agenda is giving actionable steps and creating opportunities within the AMLE organization for me to engage my students with.

Conclusion

When I first opened the document containing the policy priorities, I was struck by the way that AMLE centered the voices of young adolescent students. By including direct quotes from 6th, 7th, and 8th graders, AMLE positioned the priorities as being about middle school students and not just problem solving to answer calls about teacher retention, class sizes, or other structural issues that need to be addressed. I believe that policy must be in pursuit of improving and meeting the needs of these young peoples’ lives. I am hopeful that as AMLE leads its membership into advocacy work, we will not lose sight of the human faces behind the documents. The personal stories, like those of the young people quoted in the introduction of the document, like my nephew, and like the millions of other students who are sitting in a middle school classroom today, must be at the center of any work we do. As a member of AMLE, the policy agenda reminds me that we are working to craft a future where no young adolescent feels lost or unsupported, and where middle schools are a place for innovation, growth, and possibilities beyond the academic curriculum, and into social and emotional well-being as well.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kristina N. Falbe

Kristina N. Falbe, Ph.D., is an associate professor of Middle Grades Education at Illinois State University. E-mail: [email protected]