since this is a "full disclosure"

thread. before I start:
1. I've served on FVC, FTC, and VRC game design committees.
2. I've been a FIRST Senoir Mentor and an IFI/VEX regional consultant/rep - (however I've never been paid according to sales numbers)
3. I've matched FIRST programs & VRC to state and national education standards and have engaged two state departments of education with the materials/information.
4. I hold a master's degree in curriculum & instruction
5. I helped author the Autodesk VEX curriculum, the VEX classroom competition teacher's handbook, and helped fulfill an NSF grant through TSA for robotics competition and education standards documentation.
6. I've consulted directly with school districts to develop robotics curriculum at both the middle school and high school levels.
7. I helped run FRC 103 from 2001-2005. I founded FRC1712 in 2006, which spawned FVC/VRC 1712 the following year and had a lead role in running both until this past summer. I now run a community organization where I live that helps host a JrFLL Expo, runs two+ FLL teams, and we hope to add VRC and FRC in the near future.
In short, I've been blessed to see and do a lot in the robotics education community. My general comments:
A. For the middle school or high school level the two best robotics platform choices are LEGO Mindstorms NXT and VEX.
B. NXT works well if you're heavy on autonomous and CS aspects and don't want real fasteners or metal. Sure you can add in Tetrix and use bluetooth control, but this can get very expensive and time consuming.
C. VEX is super for mechanical design as well as programming - very flexible and cost efficient.
D. Watch out for LEGO education shipping charges - ouch!
E. Curriculum possibilities and available/affordable resources? VEX wins hands down. The classroom competition package is a powerful, affordable start. NXT has some curriculum that are good, but pale in comparison.
Best wishes on your curriculum development. Let me know via email (I don't visit here as often anymore) if I can assist you at all!