This document, comprised of five issues of a newsletter published by the National Middle School Association, focuses on teaching concerns and practice in urban middle grades. Regular features of issues include an editorial section, a resources column, a "News to Use" section, and feature articles. The following are some articles presented in the issues: (1) "The Joy of Cooking: It's Time To Reread the Ingredients for School Change" (Holly Holland); (2) "Teacher Education Misses the Middle: Few Colleges Prepare Teachers To Lead Middle School Classrooms" (Phillip Walzer); (3) "This Does Not Compute! Urban Schools Lose Speed in the Technology Race" (Bill Zlatos); (4) "Setting Standards for Excellence: Math Goals Help Teachers Aim Higher" (Linda Jacobson); and (5) "Charting Its Own Future: Oakland's Jingletown Middle School Joins Charter Crusade" (David Livingstone Fore). (BGC).