With School Enrollment Deadlines Looming, Middle School Choice May Be Toughest

Although the second half of the school year has just gotten underway, it’s time for many parents and students to consider the transition from elementary school to middle school. It’s certainly not the only shift students make in their academic life, but it’s probably the most dramatic, most challenging and many say the most important.

During this time when children are going through physical, emotional and social changes, they are uprooted from a familiar setting and a routine that many have known for several years. Changing classes during the day, taking a different bus to school and often having to change out for gym class can be traumatic for even the most well-balanced individuals.

That doesn’t mean that it must be a scary experience.

Peachtree Corners has a hidden gem of sorts with Pinckneyville Middle School. Principal Todd Marschke is not only a long-time Gwinnett County Public Schools administrator, he lives in the neighborhood and his children have attended, currently attend or will attend the school.

“My own daughter went here my first year as principal,” Marschke said. “I have a son who attends now and another one who will be here soon. But all the students are my kids and I want the best education possible for all of them.”

Marschke is a product of Gwinnett County Public Schools where he attended Head Elementary, Shiloh Middle School, and graduated from Shiloh High School. He is also a graduate of Georgia State University. His teaching career started as a middle school gifted math and science teacher at Alton C. Crews Middle School. Marschke transitioned from Crews Middle School to Lanier Middle School for his first administrative position. For seven years, he served as principal in the Norcross cluster at GIVE Center West before coming to Pinckneyville in 2018.

By Arlinda Smith Broady Photos by Richard Phillips

Good relationships

In his many years of educating youngsters, he’s realized that it boils down to strong, healthy relationships.

“It all starts with relationships – with all the staff, with the students, with the parents,” he said. “If you leave yourself open to develop those trusting, nurturing relationships, you can do great things.”

It’s that kind of focus and dedication that drew PTSA mom Shana Cooper to the school. She currently has an 11-year-old daughter and a 13-year-old son who attend Pinckneyville. She said right from the start Marschke made her feel welcome and showed that he’s an open, honest and reliable leader.

She cited an example of the TikTok craze where kids were encouraged to pull off pranks at school, such as clogging toilets with paper towels, slapping teachers on the behind, stealing school equipment and other forms of mischief.

“At a general meeting back in November he was just kind of talking about the upcoming

Left, Principal Todd Marschke Above Marschke greeting students with fist bumps in the school hallway.

Left, Principal Todd Marschke asks a Home Room what they think about eating in the classroom. Below left, Working to resolve an issue with a student’s parent. Bottom, Tremendous respect between Todd and one of his students, Julian.

year. … New students and parents were coming by and asking if it’s a dangerous school or a bad school,” she said.

Marschke asked parents not to confuse Pinckneyville issues with middle school issues. Every time kids make transitions they are exposed to new situations. For example, there is a lot more freedom and lot more kids in middle school than in elementary school.

Add to that COVID protocols and bouncing from in-person to virtual learning, and Marschke had a lot to deal with. The Tik Tok “devious lick” had to be dealt with swiftly and efficiently.

“The poor man has about 1,300 to 1,400 students at that school. And he’s got to basically parent and direct everyone through all of this COVID and Tik Tok, and just regular middle school craziness. And he does it with such a good outlook and such grace and positivity,” Cooper said.

“They isolated the situation [with the Tik Tok incidents] and figured out what kids are involved. They had the disciplinary action for them. And then they do a school wide announcement and usually an email,” Cooper added.

Marschke explained that it may seem cool to post hijinks on social media, but a lot of those situations can lead to bigger consequences like expulsion and trouble with the police. Fortunately, the Pinckneyville students got the message and the reign of capers was shortlived.

Great results

But Marschke likes to focus on the things that make his school shine.

As one of the few International Baccalaureate schools in the system, it has a high focus on academic excellence for all students.

“When you have high expectations, you help bring about high results,” he said.

Pinckneyville Middle School placed in the top 30% of all schools in Georgia for overall test scores (math proficiency is top 50%, and reading proficiency is top 30%) for the 2018-19 school year, according to Public School Review, a non-profit that provides free, detailed profiles of USA public schools and their surrounding communities.

It added that the percentage of students achieving proficiency in math is 49% (which is higher than the Georgia state average of 44%) for the 2018-19 school year. The percentage of students achieving proficiency in reading/language arts is 55% (which is higher than the Georgia state average of 45%) for the 2018-19 school year.

And as one of the most diverse schools in metro Atlanta, the administration makes extra efforts to showcase the various cultures and ethnicities. Black History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, International Night and many special

celebrations in between foster an atmosphere of inclusion.

“I encourage anyone who wants to know more about Pinckneyville Middle School to come for a visit, attend an open house and/or call me directly,” said Marschke. “We have a lot to offer, and I believe every student can thrive here.” ■

Picking the Right Middle School

Peachtree Corners Magazine researched several sites that offer advice from educators, child psychologists and pediatricians to compile a comprehensive list of tips for evaluating a middle, or really any school, to make sure it’s right for your child. Do research beforehand

Check out test scores, student to teacher ratio, per pupil spending. That information isn’t hard to find for public schools. It’s available on the Georgia Department of Education website. And if you’re not good at digging through computer files, ask the school. That information should be readily available. Schedule a visit

Don’t just show up. A few decades ago, that might not have been an issue, but there are a myriad of reasons why that’s not a good idea today – safety, interrupting instruction, health concerns, etc. If there are major issues at the school, they won’t be something that can be swept under a rug a week before you visit. And make sure you get time to talk to the principal. They should never be too busy to give a parent 10 or 15 minutes of their time. Be prepared with tough questions

Write them down if you must. Ask about social/emotional development, types of discipline, opportunities for extracurricular activities, the amount of time spent on core subjects, availability of tutoring or remediation if necessary, and the number and caliber of special needs and gifted programs. Even if your child does not fall within some of those categories, it’s important to know that the school offers them. Attend a PTA/PTSA/PTO meeting

You’ll get a good feel for how the parents, students, teachers and administrators treat each other during instruction time by observing them outside of the classroom. If kids are constantly scolded or running wild with no supervision, that could be telling. You’ll also see if the parents are willing and/or encouraged to participate in their children’s education. And while you’re there, talk to parents and students.

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