Get Schooled

By Jeff

December 9, 2008 8:48 AM | Link to this

I’m in favor of it. It is a known fact that boys and girls (and men and women) are different on every level. Not necessarily one better than the other, but different.

It is time we begin USING those differences to our advantage as a society.

For example: A male teacher can typically get through to boys on levels that a female just doesn’t stand a chance. Same with female teachers and girls.

At the same time, boys also need the female influences in certain areas, and girls need a male influence in certain areas.

Sounds like I’m making a marriage/family case, but the principle holds in both the classroom and the home.

By jim d

December 9, 2008 8:51 AM | Link to this

The thing is that coeducation didn’t take hold in the US until the mid-and late 1800s. Nearly 200 years after the first school was founded in the United States. (1635, Boston Latin) Which btw was a boys only school.

Will going back 200 years help education? Well, perhaps it will ——- then maybe it will just set education back 200 years.

By simpleton

December 9, 2008 8:58 AM | Link to this

This is very typical of these educational policy makers - they just want to shift our attention away from the real problem by proposing cosmetic changes. The challenge of education is that it is rarely possible to identify a specific “cause” for success. If separate gender schools work, is that because the genders were separated? Or was it because different types of teachers may be attracted to those schools? Was it because the curricular emphases are different - boys schools are for science and technology but for girls “leadership”???

Unless and until we start addressing the real issues of education, not the least of which is the quality of teaching and teachers, we will not make any real progress in public schools.

By Ernest

December 9, 2008 9:51 AM | Link to this

I like the idea as another ‘choice’ for parents to consider. Again, this may not be for every student but some could thrive in this type of environment. There must be measures put in place to quantify whether this has an impact on student achievement. I would guess we would see an increase because of increased parental involvement more than anything else.

BTW, something regarding a recent blog topic. In Maureen Downey’s commentary on 12/8, she referenced a study performed that suggested school uniforms had no impact on behavior and attendance and may hurt student achievement. I really like the following comment: In effect, the study found, uniforms are akin to throwing a new coat of paint on a crumbling building. The building may well look better, but it’s still falling apart. Read the article for yourself at: Learning Curve - AJC 12/8.

By Tony

December 9, 2008 10:17 AM | Link to this

Determining cause/effect relationships in educational research is nearly impossible. There may be hundreds of contributing factors for whether achievement improves or not. Uniforms, same sex classes, ninth grade academies, middle school concept, or any other of myriad ideas may have some effect but the effect can not be isolated in such a way to determine causal relationships. What is a good idea is for parents and schools to work together to establish rules and procedures.

Regarding the uniforms report, I’ve not read that yet but look forward to examining the methods of evaluation of the data.

By Rick

December 9, 2008 11:34 AM | Link to this

The larger issue facing the state of education today is the lack of two-parent homes. Many students’ fathers left long ago or are locked up. In many schools, the students who have two parents in the home are in a small minority. The breakdown in the family is one of the main causes of the breakdown in the school system. The breakdown in society and the loss of jobs in working-class areas has caused the breakdown in the families.

I think that single-sex classes will see some positive results. However, this is like putting a bandage on a gun shot wound—it will take a societal overhaul. Sadly, there will still be more blacks and children of the poor in prison than in college in GA.

By jim d

December 9, 2008 11:45 AM | Link to this

Ernest,

As you are well aware, “I’m all about choice” but I’m also convinced single sex ed will produce no better results. To actually attain some significant improvement we might consider grouping kids by Social class, which actually is the ‘key to child achievement’. This of course would be politically incorrect inasmuch as it would be viewed as allowing the haves to have more and the have-nots to have less. In direct conflict with the direction our new leadership wishes to take us.

By jim d

December 9, 2008 11:50 AM | Link to this

Tony,

You may find this of interest. Single-sex schools ‘no benefit for girls’

By TheBlogger

December 9, 2008 11:54 AM | Link to this

Who cares about any one’s “opinion”? Let the statistics speak for themselves. If seperating boys and girls proves to increase learning then we should do it. End of discussion.

By jg

December 9, 2008 12:14 PM | Link to this

Love it!

Wish DeKalb would join in too!

By Granny

December 9, 2008 12:20 PM | Link to this

Maybe keeping boys and girls separate in class will help them BOTH to keep their minds on their school work instead of on each other! This, combined with the new dress code, should help cool the heels of these sexually overactive CHILDREN. The parents obviously don’t care about them. They are complaining more than the kids. Are they afraid they are going to miss out on that welfare that these baby-mommas will be bringing home? Some of these parents are worse than PIMPS.

By MommaMia

December 9, 2008 12:22 PM | Link to this

ALL of Georgia’s schools need to adopt the dress code/separation of the sexes. Maybe then they will come UP in education. It sure can’t HURT, considering Georgia is last in education.

By Overdue

December 9, 2008 12:24 PM | Link to this

The only ones complaining about this are those that are not in school to get an education. You are NOT there for a fashion show or to get a date for next week-end. You are there to LEARN, and it’s obvious that you are not learning much when you are worried about how you look to the opposite sex.

By Ernest

December 9, 2008 12:25 PM | Link to this

JimD:

Did my putting the word choice in quotes tell you I was hoping you’d comment on that??? :) At one level, I will agree it could be considered a ‘gimmick’ with hopes of redirecting attention from some of the core challenges with many of our school systems, especially those in urban areas. On the other hand, I would be willing to give this a try, albeit on a limited basis, for school clusters that would be willing to try this.

Take the Theme schools we have in DeKalb County. Some might call them a ‘gimmick’ but when you compare their standardized test scores to others around the state, you do see a marked difference. I attribute most of that to parental involvement. Parents will wait in lines to enroll their children in these schools, agree to a uniform policy, and sign a ‘volunteer contract’. Parents willing to do that to get their children into a school are seeking something they feel they cannot get from their home school. I submit they are more than likely to remain engaged with their children’s schooling. I see the same type of interest for single sex classes/schools. If this does not take resources away from the traditional schools, I say ‘go for it’!

It would be interesting to see how the traditional schools ‘react’ to this if it results in a type of ‘bright flight’.

By Confused

December 9, 2008 12:25 PM | Link to this

Why would you send a link to a site in the UK?

By Luv 2 Talk

December 9, 2008 12:26 PM | Link to this

I think it is a wonderful idea! Research shows that it works. Gwinnett County Public Schools needs to take note and do more innovative things. They do now have one school for girls, but they didn’t want to approve the charter, so the Principal/Founder went to the state. Middle school minority boys really need to have this option.

By steve

December 9, 2008 12:28 PM | Link to this

This is a parental problem more than anything else. These schools can put the girls here and the boys there. They can make them wear uniforms. They change the courses, raise standards, lower standards, whatever they want to do, and it will have minimal results.

The problem is simply that there are too many children with no “home training”. They come to school unprepared to learn. They are not keeping up with course work. They are disruptive. They fight. They talk back. They disrespect the teachers. In many cases, they are little criminals.

If you want to fix the schools, require that parents take courses if their child does any of the above, or if his grades slip. If the child is disrespectful, put the parents in weekend classes to learn how to discipline their kids.

If you haven’t seen an 8th, 9th, or 10th grade class in action, you don’t know. They are horrible little people.

By Tony

December 9, 2008 12:29 PM | Link to this

Schools are already largely separated by social class based on school attendance districts. People choose to live in neighborhoods with similar home values. Socioeconomics and test scores go hand-in-hand. Vouchers will be a simple way to establish the kind of segragation by social class shared above - to the detriment of all other children.

By steve

December 9, 2008 12:38 PM | Link to this

It amazes me how little value parents place on their children’s education.

I live in a very bad school district in Dekalb. My son started kindergarten this year. I applied for three school transfers. I entered him into every lottery available.

In the end, I had the choice of three schools to which I could transfer him. I chose the best of the three. I drive an hour every morning out of my way to get him to school.

Had Dekalb not afforded me this privaledge, I would have taken a second job to send him to private school or to afford to move.

Sending your child to a failing school should not even be an option to you.

By Catherine

December 9, 2008 12:39 PM | Link to this

Overdue: Girls, left to themselves, will continue to judge one another and be catty. They do not need boys to add to their insecurities because many girls learn from a young age to eat their own and tear each other apart.

I think that the choice of a same-sex school is good, but I am reluctant to use state money to do it. I agree with several previous posts that this is a cosmetic change that is not going to make much difference for education in Georgia as a whole. There are too many variables—within the schools’ control and outside of it—to know that the same-sex classes are the reason for improved achievement.

By V for Vendetta

December 9, 2008 12:42 PM | Link to this

Don’t they already have separate boys’ and girls’ schools in Clayton?

The Men’s Correctional Facility and the Women’s Correctional Facility.

Sorry, couldn’t resist. On the news this morning there were like, five murders in Clayton County. OK, it might have been south Fulton, but who’s counting?

(And spare me the “Clayton isn’t a cesspool” posts. I know there are seven or eight decent people down there.)

By Tony

December 9, 2008 12:43 PM | Link to this

TheBlogger - Therein lies the problem. No research has ever PROVEN anything. In fact, scientific studies never PROVE anything. The evidence may support a hypothesis or may not support it, but never PROVES the hypothesis. Besides, when it comes to educational research people do not want to hear the truth. They are much more comfortable making unfounded accusations. You’ve seen it in this forum time and time again. Politicians only want to look at research that supports their positions (even if the research is poorly done.)

Reading First research has provided some very critical information for that program. Have you seen or read about it? No. The evaluation study offered some conclusions that are not popular. It also provided more questions than answers.

To make the best decisions, schools and communities should work together to meet the needs of the students. Draw on as much research as possible, but also draw on the values of the community. Schools are in trouble in communities where this does not happen. Whether the question is uniforms, single-sex classes/schools, or another, the answers will vary school by school and community by community. At the heart of success will be people working together to make learning possible.

By janie Hopwood

December 9, 2008 12:46 PM | Link to this

I am a retired teacher with 30 years in. The main problem I see is no one holds the students responsible for anything. We talk about parental responsibility, teacher responsibility ect., but no one puts the responsibility for learning where it belongs, on the student. I had this concept taught to me when a student balled up his fist, got right in my face and said, “you can’t learn me nothing.” I automatically began to correct his grammer when I realized he was correct. My job was to teach. His job was to learn, and I could not do his job for him. We must make our young people accoutable for their actions and their choices. The rest is easy. A bad teacher can “teach” if he makes materials and lessons available to students who are determined to learn.

By Mike D

December 9, 2008 12:49 PM | Link to this

Is CC planning on hiring ex Army Rangers to work in the ganglang that will become the male highschools?

By Fra

December 9, 2008 12:55 PM | Link to this

This is garbage. This is not to solve the problem when teacher quality is still low. Besides boy students tend to try harder to impress girls and vice versa. And more kids of the same sex is going to cause more discipline problems.

By jim d

December 9, 2008 12:55 PM | Link to this

Ernest,

not really, I just assumed you were looking for a comment by using the word.

Confused

did you read it?

Luv 2 Talk

Research shows that it works*

Please direct me to that research as I’ve been unable to locate it and would love to read it. So far everything I’ve found indicates many of the arguments for gender based education are bunk—and often have more to do with outdated gender stereotypes than the cutting edge research proponents claim they’re based on.

Tony

Schools are already largely separated

Perhaps, but I have noticed that even at the better schools there are quite a few reduced or free meals being handed out.

and now that I’ve strirred just about everyone; Steve, Let’s just have the state take them at birth and raise them according to the Steven doctrine. Whatta ya think?

By Tina Taylor

December 9, 2008 1:24 PM | Link to this

As a parent whose daughter attends the Atlanta Girls school -Coretta Scott King. I am not impressed. So I am not so sure this is such a good idea.

By sarah

December 9, 2008 1:34 PM | Link to this

Sure, separate but equal—there’s a new idea.

At the girls’ school they learn “Math is hard.” At the boys’ school they learn “English is for sissies.”

A great step forward.

By Jody

December 9, 2008 1:35 PM | Link to this

This idea bothers me on so many levels, I almost don’t know where to begin!

First of all, the usual outcome of exiting the educational world is that one enters to workforce. The last time I checked there aren’t many companies (if any) out there that are single gender companies. In most cases, if a company tried that, the EEOC would be all over them for discrimination. Why do we want to structure our educational system in such an unrealistic fashion? A lot of people entering the workforce aren’t fully prepared as it is, do we really want to make it worse?

Secondly, it’s also my understanding that embracing our diversity and learning skills for all social situations was part of our education, even if these skills are not measurable on some “standardized” test. How are companies supposed to engender a culture of embracing our diversity if our educational system doesn’t even do that?

I went to a women’s college for two years before deciding that my true calling was not as a chemistry teacher, but as an engineer. Those two years were some of the worst in my life. I can’t speak for all single gender institutions, but this particular institution was the least embracing of individual diversity as any school I had been in and I grew up in metro Atlanta. It was almost as if you were not accepted if you didn’t have an alternative lifestyle. Now, before anyone from GLAAD or any other rights organization jumps all over me, I am in favor of live and let live, to each her own. But I have to ask, do we really want to open our public school system to conditions where the same kind of thing MIGHT occur?

Being an engineer, I work in the “boys club” every day. Things have changed remarkably in the last 10 years for women in engineering, but there is still progress to be made. I would love to see the day when we no longer need programs to encourage women to go into science, engineering, math and technology careers. I fear that single gender schools will make the need for these kind of programs that much greater.

By FultonTeacher

December 9, 2008 1:39 PM | Link to this

I’ve been teaching for 13 years, and I’ve had the opportunity to see schools grab at any and everything in an attempt to increase student achievement. Atlanta Public Schools has several schools which are for boys or girls only. Do they work? Well, time will tell. But there are bigger issues to deal with.

First, student behavior seems to get more obnoxious every year. Parents just aren’t doing their part many times. I work in a school where foul language is the norm (even in the presence of adults). Although my class has rules against such language, it still slips out all day long. There’s not much that I can do. Swear jars are great in schools where kids have the money. But what about a school where they don’t?

Parents, your kids are NOT there to be your best friend…that comes much later in life. Right now, you need to be a parent. That doesn’t mean that you can’t be “friends” in the sense that you talk to each other about everything or go places together. You should be doing that as well. But you must be a parent first. And yes, I am a parent and my kids and I talk everyday. But there is a line that they don’t cross with me. I have their dad as my best friend!

And for those of you that think the problem is only in minority communities, think again. It’s everywhere. Kids are coming from single parent homes. What’s sad is the fact that many moms where this title like a badge of honor. I’m married, but it’s still hard. And choosing to be a single mom deserves no honor. Sorry, but that’s the truth. If you could see how these kids behave, you’d be in total shock. I really don’t think you guys realize how some of these kids behave. It’s total insanity.

Well, enough of my venting. Today is actually a good day!

By Emily O

December 9, 2008 1:48 PM | Link to this

As a high-school student, I do not think this will work. What are they trying to do by separating genders? Reduce distractions in class? Make students feel more secure? I’m just not sure how separating genders raises test scores. All it will do is make the students socially awkward. It’s just another educational fad like the BenchMark tests. It will pass in five years after the studies can’t back it up.

By Teacher, Too

December 9, 2008 2:10 PM | Link to this

How many times have we heard people say (and I include myself) that our parents never came to the school? My parents didn’t, unless I requested it—Meet the Teacher, something like that. Basically, parents didn’t need to come to the school because as students, we pretty much did what we were supposed to do. And, our parents didn’t supply us with endless excuses as to why homework wasn’t done or projects weren’t turned in, etc…

Now, we have a lack of parental involvement in all aspects of kids’ lives (not all parents, certainly, but where I teach, I would say 50% is an appropriate number).

This societal change has pervaded the schools, and until society forces change- and I don’t have the answer to that one- we’re never going to meet NCLB or any other measure.

I just don’t think the separating the boys from the girls is the be all and end all answer. Nor is school uniforms the only answer. However, maybe if we put these kinds of things in place, along with giving the teachers the freedom to teach without imposing copious amounts of needless, redundant paperwork upon them- maybe then we can begin to see the reversal of NCLB. And, just maybe, we can begin to focus on the bright students that are left behind instead of simply catering to the lowest common denominator.

By Grant Parker

December 9, 2008 2:14 PM | Link to this

I have two sons, and have had the chance to observe how they fit in at a public elementary school. Like most schools, this one is top-heavy with female administrators and teachers. As a result, the school tends to skew in favor of girls, who are more likely to sit quietly, etc. Boys tend to learn by doing things, by putting their hands on their lessons, so to speak. My sons’ teachers don’t always understand this. So, yes, I think separate facilities for the genders might be a good thing. Hey, AJC administrators, you need to bounce this clown, Keith, off the blog.

By baby momma

December 9, 2008 2:17 PM | Link to this

How is Le’Quantrila’veous going to meet his future baby momma if the classes are divided by gender?

By Tray

December 9, 2008 2:17 PM | Link to this

Ok, you want to improve education, separating sexes is NOT the way to do it. The reason schools don’t do well now is ALL DUE TO PARENTS! Now, it’s not all of you, but the a select group-the parents who don’t allow the teachers to back-hand their kids on the back of the head when they are disruptive!! If you think that’s abuse, if you think that won’t work, that’s why YOUR KID IS FAILING, LACK OF DISCIPLINE.

You want less distractions in the classroom?? WHY, life constantly throws distractions at you, and you have to LEARN to deal with them. Instead of less distractions, increase discipline!! Kids won’t mess with the opposite or same sex in a classroom if they get smacked in the back of the head!

The kids need to be taught to handle stress and distractions in their life, BECAUSE THAT’S LIFE!

2 things to learn: Motivation, Discipline

That’s all you need.

This same-sex thing-just going to cause more problems…some angry parent will sue for discrimination to try to make a buck ( <— that’s the probmlem with the world today, lazy parents)

By Ken

December 9, 2008 2:25 PM | Link to this

Before we start looking at separating the boys and the girls, I think we need to resolve the bigger issues with Clayton County schools. Accreditation and a harmonious school board is needed first!

By Reality Check

December 9, 2008 2:26 PM | Link to this

You can put all the lipstick you want on a pig and you’ll still end up with a pig wearing lipstick at the end of the day. Can we say a little too little, too late. The problems are are eating away at Clayton County didn’t happen overnight, don’t look for an easy way out on this one. You have kids running amuck in gangs; uninvolved parents and the monolitically unqualified John Thompson at the helm. Face it, CC is an area most os us want to avoid at all cost. I do hope they resolve all their issues down there but my concern is more selfish than anything. I am very afraid the residents of CC will begin to move into my North DeKalb area and do the same thing hear. With parents, students and teachers alike, you get what you pay for.

By Samantha

December 9, 2008 2:34 PM | Link to this

I’m in favor of it. I went to an all girl High School in Louisiana and it did really well. I think that it will be easier for both boys and girls to concentrate on their lessons than on each other. It’s a great idea and the entire state should follow suit.

By split em up

December 9, 2008 2:47 PM | Link to this

Think it’s a great idea. While on the surface there are many “slippery slope” arguments that can be made, including the rhetorical “should we then separate by race, etc.?” I think the primary consideration for this should be that when children are in primary/high school they are going through a “mind forming” exercise. It is during those critical years that things such as opposite sex interaction can causes such distraction in kids - in increasingly younger ages.

I saw the same thing as I trained recruits in the military a while back. Some years ago now the military implemented integrating traing during bootcamp. I saw a distinct difference in the behavior of my recruits (whether I was training males or females) once they integrated with their “brother” or “sister” division. Training always seemed to suffer in favor of the interaction.

It’s amazing the things I hear about and see in a lot of these young (especially girls) how they become so caught up in these p** tail little dudes and stray so far off the path of potential success..all because they are smitten with the attention these boys are giving them. Their grades oftentimes suffer, they undergo negative personality changes, distorted self-concept etc. And let’s not even begin to talk about the often toxic relationships that develop between different females as a result of all this garbage..

By ROBIN

December 9, 2008 3:28 PM | Link to this

Seperate the girls from the boys. Force kids to wear uniforms. This is going to increase learning. NO ITS NOT.

What will increase learning is for the schools to start acting like a learning facility instead of a jail house. You get a kid thats disruptive get out the paddle in the principles office. You get a kid caught with drugs, expel him. You get a kid with a gun, call the police and have him arrested. Push the respect button and the rest will fall into place.

Parents, get off your butts and stop yelling my kids not doing it. Yes they are. Demand respect from your kids and if they dont respect then let them take the punishment. Stop bailing them out. Theres proof and you just dont want to see it. Stop this dont yell at my kid, or dont speak mean to my kid. If your kid needs teachers to be harsh find out why and stand by the teacher.

Thats how you teach kids. You demand respect and that they follow the rules. Stop babying them and insist that they do what they need to do to grow into respectiful, honest, hard working adults. Your be glad you did.

By ROBIN

December 9, 2008 3:32 PM | Link to this

Keith, you are exactly what I was talking about. Grow the heck up. Be a leader.

By steve

December 9, 2008 3:33 PM | Link to this

If you have kids in Clayton County Public schools, you need to re-evaluate yourself as a parent in general.

Move away. Don’t have the money to buy a house somewhere else? Rent the cheapest apartment in the best school district you can find.

Sacrifice your possessions for your child’s education.

Almost nothing is more important.

By catlady

December 9, 2008 3:46 PM | Link to this

Haven’t read the other responses all the way through, but the AAUW has done some sitgnificant work in the area of girl’s/women’s ed. Recommend looking at this.

Of course, one problem is having an adequate control for this type of study. So much is self-selection.

My daughters both graduated from women’s colleges (Agnes Scott and Wesleyan, a shout-out to you) and both profited greatly from attending them. It was not that they needed to avoid distraction, and it wasn’t that they needed protection. But attending women’s colleges meant they were not drowned out by the men in class, in clubs, in student government. It meant they had some strong role models they might or might not have had. It meant that there were some topics that were freely discussed, that might have not been so open to discussion on a co-ed campus. They both were excellent students in high school and college, and they would have been high achievers in a co-ed school.

If it had been available, I would have had them in single sex middle school, and maybe elementary school as well.

I would think that young men would profit as well from the lack of “thug” pressure O(posturing for the girls) in Clayton County. Having extra field trips and mentors won’t hurt, either.

By split em up

December 9, 2008 5:07 PM | Link to this

..And therein lies the problem ROBIN.

The parents are not there oftentimes, and even when they are (physically) they still are not “there”. Get the parents out of the “clubs”…and putting down the blunts, and curtailing all the “kickin’ it” and yes, maybe you will see a difference in the kids. But given as how you cannot control the “grown folk” you must operate from the position that you do have control over - the child.

Sorry, that’s just practicality at work.

By Mac

December 9, 2008 5:54 PM | Link to this

It works……ever heard of URBAN PREP ACADEMY OF CHICAGO……

TAKE A LOOK……a true success story

http://www.urbanprep.org/

By awm

December 9, 2008 7:07 PM | Link to this

I am from an island in the West Indies, this practice of separating the sexes is very popular in the private schools. I went to an all girls school and yes, we did wear uniforms to school every day. Uniform was also a must in the government school. Good topic.

By Debbie

December 9, 2008 8:49 PM | Link to this

I went to High School in Macon where the sexes were separate. I never went to school with boys. I grew up never really learning how to interact in a normal everyday fashion with boys and ultimately men. Learning social interaction as a teenager is just as, if not more important than learning history or geography. School is the best place to learn this. Oh yes and as far as separate being a better learning evironment, the year I graduated our class had the distinction of being the lowest academically in the country.

By Matt

December 9, 2008 9:50 PM | Link to this

I graduated from high school last year and thank God I did because now my old school has become one of those “Charter” Schools. They now have uniforms and even more rigid rules and discipline. And now same-sex classrooms are being forced in. Just another example of the ignorance of people these days. S** like that disgusts me, and I call it s** because that’s the only word I can find that accurately describes all the ridiculously stupid things people do.

Same-sex classrooms are an outdated and ignorant idea. Children and teens cannot gain the social skills they will need later in life if they do not socialize with the opposite sex. And here’s something else to think about: Isn’t it funny how segregating classrooms on the basis of race is illegal, but segregating them based on sex isn’t?

As for uniforms, what the hell is wrong with supporters of them? They’re already trying to get all these kids to think alike, now they’re gonna make them dress alike too? Whatever happened to self-expression and individuality? I’ve heard people say that uniforms prevent kids from being distracted by their friends clothes, which is another example of the stupid s** I was talking about. You want to know the real reason kids lose focus in class? Bad teachers. Teachers who don’t give a s** whether or not their students pass, because they get paid anyway. Boring, useless, unhelpful, lazy, arrogant, often fat idiots who often don’t even know what they are talking about in class. And they force you to obey a rigid set of authoritarian rules. And this is not new stuff, I first saw it in old news reels from the 1930’s, but it was hard to understand because the narration was in German. All you authoritarian school administrators and parents need to all your ridiculous, outdated ideas and blow it out your @$$.

By Mary

December 9, 2008 10:15 PM | Link to this

Parental issues yes BUT until you can figure out a way to change these parents, you have to work with what you have. Check out National Association of Single Sex Public Education web site and what Leonard Sax says about this issue. By the way, I teach an all girls class in 2nd grade and I love it as do my parents and students…and I am in a public school!!

By Former Inmate

December 9, 2008 10:33 PM | Link to this

My parents thought this was a good idea in the 1970s. I attended an all-girls school and was, essentially, socially retarded. Perhaps, there can be some benefit to separating the sexes in middle school but it’s a bad idea in high school. The sexes compete with each other in college and the work world. They learn to compete in high school. Separating them in that crucial period only stunts their ability to compete when it really counts.

By Shocked

December 10, 2008 5:18 AM | Link to this

Can someone tell me what happened to the news stories on Dr. Beverly Hall and her attempt to destroy Douglass High School? Something was on the news about it but you can’t find the videos now.

Does anyone care that she said Carver had a 23% pass rate in 2003 and has over a 70% pass rate now? We all know that the kids at Carver now were hand picked to go there to get the test scores up so they could justify to Bill Gates that they were spending his money right.

YOU THINK CLAYTON’s BOARD WAS CORRUPT? WOW….ATLANTA IS OFF THE CHAIN!

They are destroying the old black schools by taking away the smart kids and sending them to Carver to justify getting the Bill Gates money. Then they don’t send any money to the other schools and say that the schools are failing. This way they get more money. GUESS WHAT? The teachers can’t get the Bill Gates money to use in their classrooms. It only goes to consultants and The New Schools of Carver.

And those tests that Dr. Hall gets compared on across the country with other Urban High Schools? THEY HAND SELECT THE TOP 10% OF THE KIDS TO TAKE THE TEST!

CLAYTON YOU HAVE NOTHING ON ATLANTA!

By Deborah Heisman

December 10, 2008 6:03 AM | Link to this

It has taken over a hundred years for women to find parity with men in this country. Finally, as we hear that the universities are actually admitting more women than men, and that women’s test scores are out-stripping men’s test scores in most areas, it is deemed a “good idea” to separate the sexes in classes. This is a terrible idea that, I am sure, comes from the narrow mind of men that feel threatened! In the real world that I would like to live in, women will be working and interacting on a professional level with men. How on earth can a woman learn how to do that is she has come up through a single sex school system? I would propose that in the state of Georgia you have a repressive, regressive group of people that think women should be second class citizens to be kept at home with the kids—barefoot and pregnant. Our schools need a lot—single sex classes is not the answer. A better, tougher curriculum is one answer. Better, tougher teachers that teach content rather than how to pass a test. Better classes that challenge kids to think.Those are answers.

By Jill

December 10, 2008 6:13 AM | Link to this

As a kid, my best friends always were boys. To this day, my best friends are guys. I would’ve been absoultely miserable if I had been in class with solely girls.

All my life, I’ve loved being physically active and talking about sports. Most girls did not want to be like that when I was growing up (I’m 27 now). I actually think because I was friends with so many boys, a lot of the girls didn’t like me.

I really hope schools think really hard before separating the sexes. It will totally isolate girls that are like me.

By Stephen Watson

December 10, 2008 7:53 AM | Link to this

Seperating boys and girls in school is perfect and in-line with most EXTREMIST MUSLIM countries. Is that what we want?

Why should we respect and honor the advances of modern civilization? To heck with all the struggles and advances of Susan B. Anthony, Annie Arniel, Harriet Eaton Stanton Blatch, Amelia Bloomer, Lucy Burns, Carrie Chapman Catt and many, many other American women who suffered harshly to secure equality for women (Note: “seperate” is not “equal”. The U.S. Supreme court has upheld this)

Now, school uniforms? That’s sincerely a good idea! It is done in many other countries and is easy on the parents’ budget.

By Gary Indiana Jones

December 10, 2008 7:53 AM | Link to this

The Post Office just announced a new “Oprah” stamp. They are polling customers now to find out if they prefer the frumpy, fat Oprah or the hot, skinny Oprah.

Co-ed schools are essential for normal socialization. ditto integrated schools. ditto special needs and gifted children. All should be crammed into one classroom for a spitwad fight for the ages. Only then can we achieve higher educational standards incumbent to all developing countries, (if I may be so pedantic)..

By Corey

December 10, 2008 8:19 AM | Link to this

Shocked, do you have kids in Atlanta’s school system? Do you attend school board meetings? Are you doing research to back up your claims? I thought so.

By Reality

December 10, 2008 8:24 AM | Link to this

When Tommy and Johnny begin to feel funny down there and run off to the bathroom to experiment, then what?

By Atlanta Native

December 10, 2008 12:46 PM | Link to this

To all of you that think it will send things backwards, I posit the following: If I had not had girls in my classes to mentally undress, I would have been bored and forced to pay attention. Also, instead of a race to the bottom to show the girls how cool we were by not caring, I think we would have competed for top spots in the class.

Oh yeah, I went to a private Catholic school in Atlanta where there were uniforms (which are also great).

This is not Plessy v. Furgeson, it is people actually looking for solutions.

By Mattie

December 10, 2008 2:05 PM | Link to this

First of all, I believe that school is somewhat preparing children for life in the real world; not just to aquire an education, but to acquire key social skills for life. Co-ed classrooms are neccessary for important social skills that kids must acquire. If kids are not able to focus with the opposite sex in the classroom, how are they going to focus with the opposite sex in the work place? or anywhere? And also, I don’t bleive that co-ed classrooms are the sole problem in the Clayton county educational system.

By jessica

December 10, 2008 8:02 PM | Link to this

What irks me the most is when parents and other adults say that these changes a good thing. People are already p** off about the uniforms; separating the boys from the girls is only going to make things worse. I don’t know how many times that I can emphasize that this is a PUBLIC school system, not some rich private school. It’s not right and it’s such a stupid fad.

I mean come on - those parents and other adults - when you were in school you didn’t have to do this. Why would you want us to have it. I don’t care how old I get, I would never approve of anything like this.