Equity & Diversity Blog

Why Boys Fail

This blog was written by Richard Whitmire, a former editorial writer at USA Today and past board president of the National Education Writers Association, and a frequent opinion commentator on national education issues. This blog is no longer being updated, but you can continue to explore these issues on edweek.org by visiting our related topic pages: boys.

Equity & Diversity Opinion The 50-50 chance
Richard Whitmire, May 28, 2011
1 min read
School Climate & Safety Opinion School Suspensions (or worse)
As this Education Week discloses, six out of ten Texas seniors have been suspended (or worse). Doesn't disclose the gender ratio, but we already know that most of those are boys.
Richard Whitmire, May 26, 2011
1 min read
Federal Opinion India Headed the Same Direction as China
Aborting female fetuses triggers a population gender gap, which leads to a marriageable mate gap, which in turn leads to a restive male population that presents a possible state security problems (as the Chinese have discovered).
Richard Whitmire, May 25, 2011
1 min read
School Choice & Charters Opinion Happy With Single-Sex in Tampa
That's good news, but anecdotal reporting of test scores isn't the same as real research.
Richard Whitmire, May 24, 2011
1 min read
Science Opinion Best-Paid Majors Avoided by Women
Women and minorities tend to shun the majors that lead to the best paying jobs, which lies at the heart of the overall gender pay gap (not the true apples to apples issue, where male/female engineers hold the exact same position but are paid differently.)
Richard Whitmire, May 24, 2011
1 min read
School Choice & Charters Opinion 'Gender Matters' Available
Another newsy bulletin from David Chadwell in South Carolina, home to the nation's most ambitious single-gender classroom experiment.
Richard Whitmire, May 23, 2011
1 min read
College & Workforce Readiness Opinion Feminization of Psychology
This trend was reported in my book. I'm skeptical about the reasons for the shift cited here. A lot of this is nothing more complicated than women dominating higher education and psychology being a favored major among women.
Richard Whitmire, May 22, 2011
1 min read
Equity & Diversity Opinion Boys Initiative Video Available
Richard Whitmire, May 19, 2011
1 min read
Education Opinion Long-Lasting Marriages on the Rise
...Even as the marriage rate declines. Why? Because the better educated are marrying the better educated.
Richard Whitmire, May 19, 2011
1 min read
Equity & Diversity Opinion Coverage of Boys Initiative Briefing
Richard Whitmire, May 18, 2011
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Equity & Diversity Opinion Boys Initiative Briefing Today
Richard Whitmire, May 17, 2011
1 min read
Reading & Literacy Opinion Here's a Program with Promise
First Book, profiled in the New York Times.
Richard Whitmire, May 17, 2011
1 min read
Reading & Literacy Opinion The 100-page Challenge
British boys lack the "stamina" to read beyond the 100th page, according to this research. Based on my interviewing in this country, that's impressive. Many boys here would never think of engaging a book that far.
Richard Whitmire, May 17, 2011
1 min read