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 This blog is no longer being updated, but you can continue to explore these issues on edweek.org by visiting our related topic pages: boys.
Science
Opinion
Do Female Science Majors Do Better With Female Professors?
Black college students majoring in the sciences are more likely to persist in their studies if they have black instructors, according to this study. But women who had female instructors were no more likely to persist.
Education
Opinion
Lack of Male Volunteers on Campus
In my travels for the book research I was repeatedly told about male students not volunteering for campus activities. In short, they just weren't as engaged as the women. The Chronicle today has a good article about how to reverse that. (password protected)
Education
Opinion
Take a Look at Some Horrible Books
When appearing on the Michael Medved radio show to discuss Why Boys Fail I encouraged parents to let boys read what they want to read. I listed the Captain Underpants series as an example of books that boys, not teachers, may love.
Education
Opinion
Policy Changes Driven by Gender Changes
Center for American Progress releases a report on the policy changes needed by the surge in the numbers of working women. Today, women make up half the workforce. In two thirds of all families, women are either the primary or co-breadwinners. Traditional families, those with the man as the only breadwinner, make up only a fifth of all families, the authors explained in a call to reporters yesterday.
Equity & Diversity
Opinion
Success at All-Boys Charter in Chicago
At Urban Prep, every senior in the school's first graduating class has been accepted into a four-year college. Although the magnitude of the success can't be judged absent a profile of the entering students, the article points to two striking facts: The school is only two years old and only four percent of the entering students read at grade level.
Equity & Diversity
Opinion
How Will Duncan Define Civil Rights?
The push to reinvigorate the DOE's Office of Civil Rights raises the question of whether DOE will update the traditional and somewhat dated boundaries of civil rights probes. True, minority students continue to emerge from K-12 schools far less prepared for college work than white students. But black and Latino women, compared to the men, are doing comparatively well. Will that gender disparity draw scrutiny?
Teaching Profession
Opinion
British Men Taking New Interest in Primary Schools
Dur to the recession the number of men applying to be primary school teachers has soared by 50 percent, reports the Mail. If this is happening here, I haven't seen it reported.
Science
Opinion
The Reading Connection in Science
In the schools I profile that are successful with boys, a common element of instruction is ensuring that math and science classes emphasize literacy skills. With that in mind I offer up this release from the International Reading Association:
Equity & Diversity
Opinion
Gender Gaps as a Political Issue?
I could see conservatives re-embracing this issue as a political issue. Frankly, I'm surprised it hasn't popped up among the Tea Party set. Here's an Obama budget analysis along gender fault lines, as seen by conservatives.
Education
Opinion
My Beef With the AAUW
In this letter to Edweek AAUW executive director Linda Hallman takes issue with this recent posting I wrote, claiming I'm promoting "gender wars."
Education
Opinion
George Will on the Gender Gaps: Bring Back John Wayne
Will tops his screed against blue jeans with this one about immature girly boys. When reading the last half of this column, I think it helps to hum:
Education
Opinion
Obama Ducking the School Gender Realities
Many of us, including me, hoped out loud that President Obama would use his position to tackle the school gender gaps -- at the very least, the steep gender gaps revealed among African American boys. As his recent speech on dropout prevention reveals, however, that's unlikely to happen.
Education
Opinion
High Tech Forms of Literacy
After four years of studying the boys problem I still haven't reached a conclusion on the impact new technologies have on literacy. Conventional wisdom suggests the influence is negative. I'm undecided, but I did note this press release from the International Reading Association: