Posted on 01/21/2006 11:25:45 PM PST by neverdem
First lady Laura Bush and a growing number of physicians, educators and psychologists say Americans need to wake up and see that boys lag far behind girls in school, and then demand that something be done.
Mrs. Bush, mother of two grown daughters, speaks at conferences and in interviews about the declining status of boys in today's learning environment. She has charged that boys are being overlooked.
"I think we need to pay more attention to boys. I think we've paid a lot of attention to girls for the last 30 years ... but we have actually neglected boys," Mrs. Bush told Parade magazine early last year.
William Pollack, a psychologist at Harvard Medical School, agrees.
"Boys are suffering. They are sitting in classrooms where they can't perform at the same level as girls and so cannot compete with girls," he says. "As a result, they have lower self-esteem. The bottom line is that they are suffering both academically and emotionally."
Mr. Pollack, who also serves as director of the Center for Men and Young Men at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Mass., points out that both upper-class Caucasian boys and minority boys are failing.
"All in all, most schools across the country today are boy-uncentered," he says.
Michael Gurian and Kathy Stevens, co-authors of "The Minds of Boys: Saving Our Sons From Falling Behind in School and Life," back up claims that there is a "crisis in male education" with data from the Department of Education, the State Department and other sources. They point out that boys:
Receive the majority of D and F grades given to students in most schools, as high as 70 percent.
Create 80 percent of classroom discipline problems.
Account for 80 percent of high school...
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
I thought this was about the democrats base until I saw the caption to the right LOL
The teacher was stupid for saying that remark, but she probably meant it as a general remark. It's not like anybody ever says those. At least in my school, in my class, the girls tend to be a little better behaved in the younger grades, and actually, that's probably true in general for younger-aged children (but I CAN'T make a general statement--I wasn't even a private). Curiously, some of the teachers in grades 4-6 PREFER some boys because they hold grudges like some girls do and play together better.
I'm a dum-dum, does that count?
Not quite as bad as that putrescent turd Ted Rall.
Then again, that's not saying much.
Now Mike Ramirez is gone.
Ed. cartooning is teh suck.
Meh.
There are those who think we are all weird here, but in these here parts, people of my faith send their boys to all male high schools and their girls to all girls high schools and most of us think that should start in 6th grade. The boys don't fall behind the girls when they are not in the same classroom.
There is plenty of socializing - that's why God invented football games, basketball games and dances.
Interesting. Korea has floated between those off and on.
At the grade school I attended we even had separate playgrounds, mostly so the boys could get the energy out at recess and not hurt the girls in the process.
Wow, might be an idea worth exploring. One thing I'm seeing in older grades (at least in some circumstances here) is that that some girls are becoming more active. Some you can hardly tell from the boys.
One thing is the rule in my class--boys are boys and girls are girls. If two boys start messing around with each other, sometimes I'll say, "Quit dancing." And they stop right away. If a boy starts pulling his shirt over his knees while sitting (can't stand that), I'll say, "Don't wear a dress in here." It works too. Maybe it's not PC, but then no one ever accused me of being such.
"From what I have run into in the school system, boys are evil and girls are everything. The deck really is stacked against boys."
I agree with that statement 100%. My son is thirty two now though even when he was is school this was starting to go on. He though was lucky and had lady teachers that still understood little boys and little girls. There were some even back then that were starting this trend that leaned toward the little girls. Don't think that I don't think that there aren't some great lady teachers today, though they are few and far between. I'm glad Mrs. Bush has taken this stand. I believe that back when she was in the schools, I believe as a libarian; she was one that understood little boys. The great lady teachers back then weren't the old Sarge that some of us met later on, though they had some traits that accomplished the same thing that Sarge did.
There are still many great lady teachers today. And I think Mrs. Bush is onto something too (I do respect here a TON). I myself, would like to see MORE male teachers, especially "old" military guys. Heck, I would love it if somehow military people could become teachers easier.
There are many problems not mentioned such as the absence of a father in many households (and lack of an involved one in others), the divorce rate, priorities, lack of perception of male "role models" (though I think we have many in the form of soldiers and such), and so on and so on.
One of my big things this year is going to be to thank as many parents as I can for being great parents. I have done that several times to the parents of my students.
I think you are probably a WONDERFUL father and I agree with you 100%.
Those teachers who have raised little boys or were around them growing up seem to generally understand them here.
The ones here who haven't had the background often do not.
Sounds like our third grade teacher. All kids flourish in our first grade as well. Third grade state wide tests begin and I think there is some connection.
Never heard something like that before, but maybe you are onto something. Also around that time, is when you do see the kids becoming more self-aware and the differences developing.
Now that was an "intelligent" response. Thanks. You should make more like those. But, alas, it is true in my case.
>I am a public high school teacher. I can attest first hand that boys are in a lot of trouble, dropping out, not attending college, headed for prison. White males are the most forgetten group. Many are headed nowhere.<
An old school administrator in my area used to push, and push hard for good high school vocational training. Contrary to what many people think, not everyone is cut out for college, and society desperately needs skilled blue collar workers. Plumbers, electricians, welders and auto mechanics, to name a few, are vital to society.
Perhaps, communities should look at providing technical training centers for their students.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.