Gender Equity: Pitting Boys Against Girls

To the Editor:

No one benefits from a dialogue that pits boys against girls. In her Commentary "Where the Boys Are" (June 12, 1996), Christina Hoff Sommers does just that by maligning and discounting gender equity and self-esteem, issues that more than 20 years of scientific research prove impact girls and their futures. As a principal of a high school in the Chicago area, I agree that research is needed on boys' academic progress and on the high number of boys classified as "special education students." But you don't have to rob Peter to pay Paul. Research focusing on girls can and does tell us...