Comments on: It seems like South Carolina could gives some statewide data http://www.whyboysfail.com/2009/09/07/it-seems-like-south-carolina-could-gives-some-statewide-data/ Just another WordPress weblog Thu, 09 Sep 2010 16:21:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Aaron Matthews http://www.whyboysfail.com/2009/09/07/it-seems-like-south-carolina-could-gives-some-statewide-data/#comment-11920 Aaron Matthews Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:40:43 +0000 http://www.whyboysfail.com/?p=1029#comment-11920 If the ACLU had such issues with gender segregated education, why didn't they start the fight against Women's Studies classes and/or female only science camps? Why didn't they start the fight when female centric teaching practices were introduced and then required in STEM subjects while more male centric practices were phased out in all areas. Where's the competition in grammar classes? Where's the running and tag at recess? Where's the invention and adventure in creative writing? Gone. Replaced by memorization, and intellectual safety because that's how the AAUW says girls learn the best. The only time the boys matter is when, as in cases like this, they seek to punish the boys for sins of the past. If the ACLU had any credibility, they would be fighting the AAUW every step of the way, but instead they're pushing the sexist agenda even more. If the ACLU had such issues with gender segregated education, why didn’t they start the fight against Women’s Studies classes and/or female only science camps? Why didn’t they start the fight when female centric teaching practices were introduced and then required in STEM subjects while more male centric practices were phased out in all areas. Where’s the competition in grammar classes? Where’s the running and tag at recess? Where’s the invention and adventure in creative writing? Gone. Replaced by memorization, and intellectual safety because that’s how the AAUW says girls learn the best. The only time the boys matter is when, as in cases like this, they seek to punish the boys for sins of the past.

If the ACLU had any credibility, they would be fighting the AAUW every step of the way, but instead they’re pushing the sexist agenda even more.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.whyboysfail.com/2009/09/07/it-seems-like-south-carolina-could-gives-some-statewide-data/#comment-11909 Anonymous Mon, 07 Sep 2009 13:18:53 +0000 http://www.whyboysfail.com/?p=1029#comment-11909 First, note that all the teachers, whether of all boys or all girls classes, were women. The woman they cited teaching the all boys class seemed to have a lot of insight into what was needed for boys, but I would be curious how she came to be the teacher of an all boys classroom. Did she volunteer for it? Was she given very specialized training at the outset? Next, the big problem with assessment, which is kind of hinted at, is the selection problem. It is the parents, at that age, who are deciding whether to send their children to coed or single gender classes. I would assume the default is a coed class. In that case, the boys and girls in the single gender class are already benefitting from having more active, involved parents. To assess the effectiveness of single gender classes, you would need a way to assess the effects of this skewing process. Finally, as for Victoria Middleton of the ACLU, her AAUW attitude just permeates everything she says. At the end of the article, she says, “The U.S. Department of Education has said that there is no clear evidence to justify using different methods and curriculum in teaching boys vs. girls.” Has the U.S. Department of Education provided clear evidence to justify using the same methods and curriculum in teaching boys vs. girls? I'm sure, in her AAUW way, she would be another one who would deny that there is any problem with the educational achievement of boys in this country at all. First, note that all the teachers, whether of all boys or all girls classes, were women. The woman they cited teaching the all boys class seemed to have a lot of insight into what was needed for boys, but I would be curious how she came to be the teacher of an all boys classroom. Did she volunteer for it? Was she given very specialized training at the outset? Next, the big problem with assessment, which is kind of hinted at, is the selection problem. It is the parents, at that age, who are deciding whether to send their children to coed or single gender classes. I would assume the default is a coed class. In that case, the boys and girls in the single gender class are already benefitting from having more active, involved parents. To assess the effectiveness of single gender classes, you would need a way to assess the effects of this skewing process. Finally, as for Victoria Middleton of the ACLU, her AAUW attitude just permeates everything she says. At the end of the article, she says, “The U.S. Department of Education has said that there is no clear evidence to justify using different methods and curriculum in teaching boys vs. girls.” Has the U.S. Department of Education provided clear evidence to justify using the same methods and curriculum in teaching boys vs. girls? I’m sure, in her AAUW way, she would be another one who would deny that there is any problem with the educational achievement of boys in this country at all.

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