Ga. School System to Go Single-Sex

[mommusic]

What do people think of this?

GREENSBORO, Ga. (AP) — Nearly four decades after this rural Georgia county stopped segregating its schools by race, it wants to divide students again — this time by sex.

Greene County is set to become the first school district in the nation to go entirely single-sex, with boys and girls in separate classrooms — a move born of desperation over years of poor test scores, soaring dropout rates and high numbers of teenage pregnancies.

This would apply to not only the high school, but also the elementary and middle schools. Some electives and extracurriculars will "probably be co-ed."

Here's the link:
Ga. School System To Go Single-Sex , Georgia School System Plans To Separate The Boys From The Girls; Some Parents Object - CBS News

[nngmm]

There was some research showing that kids do better academically in a single-sex environment.

I kind of think that the school is at least as important socially as it is academically. I think it is important for the kids to be exposed to a diverse peer group to grow socially. But maybe if my kids were failing reading tests, I'd care less about diversity, and more about academics...

[ucsd_ucla_dad]

Since there are plenty of coed schools across the country where the students do fine on the points indicated, I think segregating by gender may not resolve their issues and might introduce new ones (the social experience). I think they need to figure out what the real causes of the problems are.

[natmicstef]

I think its a great initiative and yes, having seen first hand how many boys sink below the radar while the girls excel, am glad they are trying something new. With girls and boys reputedly having different learning styles, especially in the earlier years, separate classrooms will allow teachers to teach according to the gender style. True it may not work but better than doing nothing.

[HarrietMWelsch]

S1's middle school segregated all academic classes by gender. The kids had art, music, and some gym classes together, and ate lunch together; assemblies and other special programs were always co-ed. It's hard to do middle school right, but this was the closest I've ever seen.

I don't know if I'd advocate it for the younger elementary years or the upper school/high school years, but during the awful hormonal (etc.) upheaval of the middle school years, it sure seemed to reduce a lot of distraction and anxiety in the classroom, for both girls *and* boys.

[Anon_Person_1]

i go to a single sex hs, and girls really do excel at science when they don't have to be "stupid at guy subjects". same thing for my brothers' single sex hs-it's a great school and produces a national award-winning yearbook and newspaper, entirely written by guys. so, i'm in favor of schools doing this.

Really though, I think that it should be an individual choice for parents whether the education should be coed or not. Maybe that's just my libertarian political roots...

[ejr1]

Being a teacher, I have seen many great kids take a nosedive in HS whent hey get that first boyfriend or girlfriend, and can't wait for the bell to ring and meet them in between classes to make-out (and you wouldn't believe how intense it can be!,) hold hands, etc. If that were removed, school would be more for education. They still would have social lives outside of school. And I have seen many girls who wouldn't speak up because they felt intimidated, or boys who wouldn't speak up or they might give the wrong impression to the girls that they weren't "cool." I think it's wonderful. And it takes great courage for a Board and administration to make such a drastic change.

[mommusic]

It really is an experiment and I'd like to see it succeed. I just hope it's not sabotaged by parents who blame the school/teachers for everything wrong with their kid. Kids pick up on that and it's so hard to counteract it.

[ucsd_ucla_dad]

I'm not arguing against the single gender idea in general but given this excerpt -

a move born of desperation over years of poor test scores, soaring dropout rates and high numbers of teenage pregnancies

- I'm not sure it'll solve the problems they're trying to address. If they don't understand the root cause of the problems then they're not likely to fix them. Regardless, I hope it works for them.

[quaere]

The school board's move to radically overhaul the system next fall has angered parents, students and teachers, who say they weren't consulted....

"This is the worst kind of publicity for our movement," he [Leonard Sax, head of the National Association for Single Sex Public Education] said. "It misses the whole point. Our movement is about choice. One size does not fit all. Even a small school district needs to provide choice."

The most important words in this article. For some kids, single-sex classes are a really good idea. But (like everything in education), they're not the right choice for every kid. Forcing them on every kid, and doing so without input from teachers and community members, is going to create new problems.

To introduce a new perspective: same-sex environments tend to reinforce norms of sex and gender, whether consciously or unconsciously. This educational setup may be a really bad choice for students who are LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer), opening the door for harassment, intimidation, or ostracism of kids who are or seem different. Imagine the frustration and misery of a gay, bisexual, or questioning student trying to deal with identity issues, coming out, and dating at a single-sex high school, or a transgender/gender-nonconforming student forced to learn and socialize in a single-sex environment for twelve years. For that matter, imagine the frustration of any straight, cisgender (not transgender) kid who is separated from friends who are of a different sex, told that they can't handle the “distraction” of the opposite sex, or told that they have to attend certain classes because their sex predisposes them to learn in a certain way.

To be sure, some of these are issues at any school. But they are much bigger issues in single-sex classes, established on the basis of generalizations and expectations about gender and sexuality. Like any generalizations, these contain a measure of truth - but they aren't true for everyone, and it's damaging to impose them on everyone.

[mommusic]

quaere--maybe I'm assuming things about a rural Georgia (Bible Belt) county that I shouldn't but...I can't see a GLBT teen "coming out" at all in that environment. If it were me, I would keep my head down and leave as soon as I graduated from HS.

[nngmm]

LGBTQ concerns are legitimate, but I am not sure that segregation by sex makes the situation worse (at least for the girls). Many queer girls choose to go to women's colleges, so I guess they might be more comfortable in all-female environment?

[CountingDown]

I have a friend who was a substitute teacher in this district. No degree (bachelor's or associate's) required. It's rural, poor and the economy is non-existent. It's about an hour from where my parents live, and about halfway between Augusta and Atlanta. Single-sex schools aren't going to help solve the problems and overwhelming odds these kids face. There are no opportunities or reasons to look forward to life -- much less college -- so dropping out to find whatever work one can or having a baby are seen as valid choices.

Mommusic, You are exactly right. Keep your head low and get out ASAP. That's what I did (and my only "sins" were being Catholic, smart, liberal and female).

[drizzit]

Without additional resources what else can they try? At least they are trying something and they have the community talking about the schools. I suspect parents who never give the schools or teachers a second thought are at least paying attention right now in that town.

Sometimes Shock Therapy is a good thing

[citygirlsmom]

well, guess it is better than what is happening at the Texas Board of Education