Posted on 10/25/2006 7:27:34 AM PDT by hoosierboy
(WSBT) School districts will soon have the option to separate boys and girls. On November 24th, the Bush administration will let them create gender-specific classes, and even entire schools. However, critics say separate isn't always equal.
Teachers in Edwardsburg, Michigan, say they just started the program in September, but they've already seen a difference in how students learn. They have so many parents interested in same-sex classes for their kids, there's actually a waiting list to get in.
While the girls do alphabet aerobics in one room, boys are hard at work doing pumpkin math and playing with clay in another room. Both groups are at Edwardsburg Primary School, but their classes are same sex.
"We've made a lot more progress in learning our beginning skills and we're much father along in the year than I've been in previous years," said Betsy Moyer.
It's the kind of progress the Bush Administration likely wants to see. In November, the Administration will let local officials decide whether to set-up gender specific public schools and classes.
However, not everyone agrees single sex classes are a good thing. A national group called The American Association of University Women thinks dividing up boys and girls may lead to inequality in classrooms.
The group said, "The proposed regulations undermine the standard that separate is not equal."
In Edwardsburg, the school principal says that's not the case.
"It's exactly the same curriculum," said Deb Crouch, "It's just that we teach it in different ways and the teachers find different strategies."
Even though same-sex classes aren't for every student, some parents like the choice.
"I do know of other children that she is playmates with that would probably greatly benefit," said Laurie Quigg, whose daughter is a student.
Teachers say in a short while, they'll know whether its working.
"I'm hoping that our test scores show that we have made more progress by eliminating one of the distractions," Moyer told WSBT News.
School administrators based their decision to offer same-sex classes on national research and other studies. The research showed there are differences in the way boys and girls learn.
I went to an all girl high school and highly recommend it.
I also attended an all girl high school (run by nuns). Cut way down on the catty behavior! No boys, less fights
Pumpkin math? I almost hesitate to ask...
Its like gourd caluculus and squash trigonometry.
What about us married folks?
Couldn't we learn something too?
Oh, wait....
During the late 60s, 70s and 80s, the judicial system struck down gender schools, even military schools, as being unconstitutional. All one-gender schools (those who receive public monies) had to be integrated. Now, after all these years, the pendulum is swinging towards segregation. Sounds much like fashion trends, whereas fashion trends change every 2-4 years integrated schools took 30 years. Good grief!
Single sex schools. Should we have single race schools.?
Do kids learn better if they are not bothered with the opposite sex?
I think we could probably prove that Whites certainly learned better before schools were integrated.
If one is ok , why not the other.
Now this is for discussion dont go making accusations ,I just dont see how separating the sexes is that much different than separating the races.
I don't see this as a problem... and I went to coed schools. Quite distracting actually, 10th grade math was a joke, two boys and 28 girls, male teacher, we two boys in the class did not get a lot of help on our math when we had questions.
So does these segregated public schools/classrooms for girls and boys mean that all white and all black schools/classes will be in the future as well?
...maybe all spanish-speaking public school?
I went to a Chicago public school, Kelly H.S. (class '66), and back then it was a good school with good teachers who cared (before unionization).
Come the Jr year we'd get a lot of new transfers - guys who flunked out of all boys schools like St Rita and De La Salle. And they (most) couldn't handle all the chicks girls, they went literally 'ga-ga'.
It was pretty funny, them doing the old 'pencil drop' trick. And the first couple of grading quarters they'd barely squeak by with a passing grade of 'D' ('F' was failing). They'd eventually acclimate but none as I recall made it to the top 25% of the class by Sr year and graduation (all student rankings with GPA's were posted for all to see).
Ahhh the good old days :-)
We separate the sexes in the bathrooms even today yet we don't separate the races. Does that bother you?
Certain matters are just common sense realizations that there are considerably more differences between the sexes than the races in most categories and the slight sex based discrimination imposed is a desirable benefit to both sexes. Single sex schools clearly benefit both sexes and such discrimination, such as we have with separate bathrooms, should be permitted.
For all intents, we already have some all Spanish speaking public schools here in Florida, unfortunately.
What do they say is always equal?
Also; I frequently hear of 'unnecessary deaths'. but, they never say how many necessary death there are.
Little help here...
Now the liberals are saying that there are indeed differences between the sexes and should be segregated for their learning benefit.
Liberals make my head spin.
I think what the Bush Admin has proposed is TERRIFIC!
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