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 This blog is no longer being updated, but you can continue to explore these issues on edweek.org by visiting our related topic pages: boys.
School Choice & Charters
Opinion
Questioning the South Carolina Single-Sex Survey
In Slate, by Lise Eliot and Diane Halpern.
Equity & Diversity
Opinion
From Rap Music to Rap Sheet
The case for making the connection is made here, at the Philly Daily News.
Reading & Literacy
Opinion
Attention Principals: Want a Winning Strategy?
Mimic what this Australian high school did: boost the reading and writing skills of boys, and you're guaranteed to raise the academic standard of the entire school. It's amazing so few U.S. schools have figured this out.
College & Workforce Readiness
Opinion
Value of a College Degree
New York Times editorial does a good job summarizing the complex picture.
Student Well-Being & Movement
Opinion
Boys and Sports: The Dark Side
My commentary in Education Week about the problems some sports programs raise.
Education Funding
Opinion
'You Are What You Do'
I've heard Tom Mortenson, the wise man of the "boy troubles" issue, argue that this is the core issue/tragedy: bad things are happening to men around the world due to (overlapping) shifts in the economy and education. And men are stunned, because they are what they do.
Federal
Opinion
A Bully Idea: Why Not Do the Same for Boys?
Feds are soliciting ideas from the public about successful anti-bullying programs -- an area where, apparently, they lack research.
School Choice & Charters
Opinion
Single-Sex Options Spreading in Houston
HISD moves to open up an all-boys school modeled after Chicago's Urban Prep Academy.
Federal
Opinion
Australians Lead the Way
How often do you hear that, unless it has something to do with barbies (no, not the doll) or 'roos' or rugby? I visited Australia while researching Why Boys Fail. Great country, and I'm not just talking about the beer.
Education
Opinion
Pay Gap Closure, British Style
This is the same phenomenon we're seeing in major cities in the U.S. -- young women out earning young men, due to the education gap favoring women.
Equity & Diversity
Opinion
Boy Troubles British Style
In Britain, the concern is always with poor white boys. Frankly, if we ever dug into the data in this country (which is nearly impossible to do, because the data systems are designed to track by race/ethnicity) we'd find the same. But here, nobody's paying attention to what's happening to white boys from blue collar families.
Federal
Opinion
Boy Troubles Canadian Style
This report from British Columbia is sobering, especially the writing results (always the source of the biggest gender gaps, which is a problem, considering that college work demands competent writing skills).
School Choice & Charters
Opinion
The Single-Gender Argument in Madison
Interesting discussion there around a proposed charter school aimed mostly at African American boys. These schools tend to have a good track record, but how much of that is due to admissions skimming and shedding unsuccessful students?
Federal
Opinion
The Path to Boosting PISA Scores
Lies in boosting boys' reading scores, suggests this Canadian reporter from the Globe and Mail, the same reporter who recently produced a remarkable series on academic gender gaps in that country.