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Quote: True Equality Network - Information Center
P.O. Box 14214
Research Triangle Park NC 27709
http://www.True-Equality.org/
Equal Protection Under the Law is True Equality
From: Malia Blom [mailto:schools@menshealthnetwork.net]
Sent: Friday, July 25, 2008 10:06 AM
To: schools@menshealthnetwork.net
Subject: Boys and Schools E-News--7/25/08
Boys and Schools E-News
From the Director:
Hello from Boys and Schools! In our effort to raise awareness of the many issues facing boys, we have launched this regular e-newsletter—a roundup of recent news and information affecting boys and their families. We hope that you find it so useful and informative that you're simply compelled to discuss it at the water cooler, post about it on your blog, and forward it to everyone you know. Though we'd also be content if you printed it out and stuck it on your door or fridge with a funky magnet. Or best of all, perhaps it will inspire you to get more involved in our effort to help boys.
Speaking of which, I'm very proud to announce that we now have our own You Tube page featuring our new series of public service announcements. The ads are called "Let Boys Be Boys," because, well, that's what we're encouraging. We want these ads to help people understand that boys' different developmental and educational needs require our attention. And that we need to change how we teach our boys (or, more specifically, that teachers need the flexibility to find different ways to help boys do better). It's a lot to get across in less than 30 seconds. That's why we're planning on making more. You may have seen a few previews of the ads on the blog, but there are more on the You Tube page, and we'll continue to add them regularly.
To view the Let Boys Be Boys ads, go to our You Tube page at:http://www.youtube.com/BoysAndSchools
Please feel free to show them in your own presentations, embed them on your site, write in approving comments, etc., etc. We want to get as many people as possible watching them and talking about them.
(And if you really like what you see today, perhaps you could make a donation to help us in our efforts.)
Thank you and have a great week.
Sincerely,
Malia Blom
Director, Boys and Schools
Boys in the News
Math scores for boys and girls no different, study finds
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-sci-math25-2008jul25,0,3356271.story
This is getting a lot of media coverage today, as it (yet again) destroys the pervasive myth that girls lag far behind boys in math. Of course, if you have been paying attention to gender and test scores, this will come as no surprise. Nor will you be astonished that the truth about the significant gap in boys' and girls' literacy scores continues to be overlooked.
Deprived White Boys Inspired by Ripping Yarns, Ofsted Says
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/education/article4381045.ece
On the one hand, it's very cool to see the phrase, "ripping yarns," in a headline. On the other hand, I'm not sure why race enters into the appreciation for action-filled books. However, since it was a British study, we'll chalk it up to regional differences. In any case, this may be old news, but it bears repeating: to get boys interested in reading, it's important to choose books that will appeal to their appreciation for adventure and action. (In fact, one of the new Boys and Schools PSAs deals with this very subject.
Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuaoC3KR9xk )
Numbers slipping in math and science performance
http://talkradionews.com/2008/07/numbers-slipping-in-math-and-science-performance/
I know the headline is a little confusing, given the earlier article about the lack of a math gender gap. Bad news. This one's about teachers—specifically, the lack of high school science teachers who are qualified to teach it. (Leading inexorably to problems with a decline in young scientists and mathematicians.)
School failure harder on girls than boys
http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSN2240317220080722
Unsurprisingly, the main focus of the study is why girls react more strongly to academic failure. However, it does raise two questions: Given the different ways that boys express fear and sadness (not to mention social stigma), how accurate is this finding? Also, if it is accurate, does this reflect less school engagement on the part of boys?
A New Frontier for Title IX: Science
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/15/science/15tier.html
College sports fans (especially wrestling fans) already know to tremble at the invocation of Title IX—here we see the effort to extend it to women and science departments.
Betrayal of boys: A new report says white boys need father figures at school. But the male education crisis is far more complex and disturbing
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1038112/Betrayal-boys-Why-male-education-crisis-far-complex-disturbing.html
A column that goes more deeply into the Ofsted report mentioned above with some unsurprising (but still interesting) discussion of how to improve education for troubled boys, from curriculum issues to giving boys the opportunity to move and exercise. (I'm going to go ahead and say that I think that these conclusions would apply to nearly all boys, regardless of race.)
Opportunities for Action
Mississippi—Task Force Looks to Change Education in the State
http://www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=8717272&nav=2CSf
As part of the state effort to make school boards and superintendents more accountable to their districts, a legislative task force has been created to study underperforming schools. This is a good opportunity for parents in Mississippi to let their policymakers know about their concerns regarding boys' test scores and how their sons are being taught.
Concerned parents who want to get involved might want to check out The Parent's Campaign.
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I have tried all my life to leave the place better than I found it. But there are 6 billion other buggers out there messing it up. I am outnumbered. But... YOU don't just make a difference, you make THE difference. |
25th-July-2008
