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 This blog is no longer being updated, but you can continue to explore these issues on edweek.org by visiting our related topic pages: boys.

Education Opinion 'Is Marriage for White People?'
Great title to what looks to be an interesting book, as the Times review lays out.
Richard Whitmire, September 18, 2011
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Federal Opinion Republican Education Reforms Likely to Help Boys?
Fuggedaboutit, argues RiShawn Biddle in this Dropout Nation piece, which cites the USA Today commentary we wrote together:
Richard Whitmire, September 16, 2011
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Education Opinion Now I (Sort Of) Get Why Sommers and Rosin are Opposing Debaters
In Slate, Christina Sommers offers her take on Hanna Rosin's views. It's well written and worth a read, as is Rosin's piece. Men still rule the risk-taking and scientific endeavors that are so key our society, Sommers argues. True enough, but why are we letting so many of those males slip away? And why are we doing so little to encourage more females to take on those challenges?
Richard Whitmire, September 15, 2011
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School Choice & Charters Opinion Disappearing Male Teachers an International Issue
Interesting piece in Time about worries in France about boys falling behind in school. Is it due to the disappearing male teacher?
Richard Whitmire, September 15, 2011
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Education Opinion If Men Rule the White House, How Bad Can It Be?
That's a question I come across often. Look around you, urge the leaders of the national feminist organizations. Men rule the White House, Congress and the Fortune 500. How bad can it be?
Richard Whitmire, September 14, 2011
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Equity & Diversity Opinion Renewed Focus on Black Males
Given the plight of black males, this is appropriate. My caveat, as always, is that what ails black boys ails all boys, only to a greater degree. Therefore, when interventions are designed along racial lines, rather than gender lines, they are likely to fall short. For some reason, probably related to political correctness, it is perfectly acceptable to compare black boys to white boys, but unacceptable to compare black boys to black girls. And yet, at least half the formula to unlocking the problems we see among black males is found in the latter comparison.
Richard Whitmire, September 13, 2011
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Education Opinion 'Are Men Finished?' Getcha' Tickets Now!
At first I assumed Slate was running a spoof article but no, this is the real deal, a debate at NYU between some interesting parties, including Hanna Rosin, author of the Atlantic cover story 'The End of Men' and Christina Hoff Sommers, author of "The War Against Boys.
Richard Whitmire, September 10, 2011
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Education Opinion 'End of Men' as a Sitcom
Once again, the emasculation of men is everywhere you look on fall TV, leaving some to speculate that this is a new theme -- or perhaps a theme generated by Hanna Rosin's influential Atlantic cover story, The End of Men, now coming your way as a book. Actually, Rosin's articles probably did spark some new emasculated men scripts, which she lists in her Atlantic blog.
Richard Whitmire, September 9, 2011
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Equity & Diversity Opinion 'Why Boys Fail' Out in Paperback
The book has a slightly changed cover and a new introduction, which leads off:
Richard Whitmire, September 8, 2011
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Equity & Diversity Opinion U.S. Lagging in Paying Attention to Gender Gaps
(This piece is also running today in The Dallas Morning News; link requires registration)
Richard Whitmire, September 7, 2011
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Equity & Diversity Opinion The Confluence of Economics, Gender, Education, and Politics
You'll see it in President Obama's upcoming speech about proposals for creating jobs. The White House is all too aware of the growing political disaffection of working-class white males. Absent job creation, Obama has little hope of winning that group.
Richard Whitmire, September 6, 2011
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Equity & Diversity Opinion The Puzzle of Poor White Boys
This is a fascinating issue, and one that can be seen mostly clearly in the U.K., where they collect data on that subgroup. In this country, the accountability system is geared more for minorities and poverty.
Richard Whitmire, September 2, 2011
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Teaching Profession Opinion Smoking Gun in U.K. Gender Gaps?
In this article in the Telegraph, the reporter suggests a reason behind the widening gender gaps recently revealed in national testing in the U.K.: a paucity of male teachers in primary schools:
Richard Whitmire, September 2, 2011
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School Choice & Charters Opinion Where Boys Can Be Boys
Interesting profile of a new boys school in Calgary. I especially like the description of the library:
Richard Whitmire, September 1, 2011
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