Old sneakers I throw at you for that pun!
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.
Finally!
I tutor math off and on and it's ludicrous to believe that boys and girls have exactly the same aptitudes and interests. They don't even have the same attention spans.
Girls do much, much better in math and science in a single-sex environment until college. My best friend who tutors English and reading has long claimed that boys do better in those subjects when no girls are around.
Old sneakers I throw at you for that pun!
Boys and girls learn differently. For many years, feminists complained that curricula was focused on a masculine world view and approach to learning. They said girls were being left behind. Over time, there was a concerted effort to make sure girls were the focus. Curricula changed, approaches changed, some argue that any boys that didnt fit in with the new more feminine approach were drugged into submission. Now we have facts that show that girls far outnumber boys going to college, they are outscoring them in tests, etc.
So it seems as if in an integrated classroom we have to choose which gender is going to do well and let the others play from behind. I can see a case for saying let's take what works well for boys and teach it to boys, and lets teach what works well for girls to girls. And let both excel to their natural potential.
Sounds like a great school, glad you had such a great experience.
Now about those twin bad girls, I think I may know who your talking about. You have a phone number so I can be sure? ;-)
When I went to school in Baltimore, there were four single sex public high schools (two boys and two girls). They were the best in the city and students from all over Baltimore went there. I attended the liberal arts boy's school. I had just moved from a county school system.
Later when I attended the state university, I met many of my old classmates from the country school system and shared experiences. IMHO, my high school better prepared me for college. My first year of college seemed "easier" than my last year of high school.
Me, too, as will any male Buzzcut offspring.
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