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August 22, 2012 | |
Public-School Gender Wars
Do kids in public school perform better if they’re separated by sex—or is that discrimination? As schools experiment, legal battles boil. By Abigail Pesta.
Bachem, dpa / Corbis A public middle school in West Virginia that teaches boys and girls in separate classrooms—based on a theory that kids perform better that way—has ignited a lawsuit and a debate about public schools across the country that are experimenting with same-sex classes. Opponents say the practice is based on harmful stereotypes; proponents say girls and boys are motivated differently and that separating them helps them reach their full potential. At the West Virginia school, the ACLU says, the male and female classrooms differ in lighting, room arrangements, and rules, with the girls encouraged to sit quietly, and the boys encouraged to move freely around the room. The ACLU believes this is is gender discrimination. Federal law says public schools can implement same-sex classes, as long as certain parameters are met; for instance parents need to have a coed option. The Daily Beast’s Abigail Pesta looks into the battle.
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