More responses to my school board email: Understanding Boys
I was forwarded your email messages below by Ms. Hauenstein, one of our school board members. First, let me say thank you for raising the issue. This is a topic that needs to be addressed by the school district and our community at large (as I think your message suggests).
Our Health and Safe Schools Specialist, James Beam, has been preaching about these issues, ever since he read William Pollack's book, Real Boys, several years ago. Whenever he makes a presentation, James is certain to bring up the issue. To a small degree, I address it whenever I am talking about the 40 Developmental Assets, or when I talk about the importance of School Connectedness. But, truth be told, those brief mentions are not enough and they don't address the problems head on. They are not sufficient to address what to do about boys being the subject of disciplinary actions at schools so much more than girls. They don't begin to address why boys are on stimulant medications for behavior at a ratio of 4 to 1, compared to girls.
As you are probably aware, Newsweek recently did a cover story about the way boys are educated. Hopefully, the articles contained in that issue will raise awareness to some degree.
However, I think the video, Raising Cain, may be an excellent addition to our staff training, as you suggest. I have not seen it, but am very interested. I will see if it is already available from our professional library and if not, I will purchase it. (Thanks for your offer to buy it, by the way, but it seems like a worthwhile use of District funds to me.)
The video might be a good first step in getting a conversation going about the issues. You are right, too, about the many things that compete for our attention when it comes to providing top notch education for our kids. We may have a hard time getting everyone to focus on this particular concern, when there are so many things to attend to. That shouldn't stop us from trying.
I will be out of the office at a conference this Monday and Tuesday. However, I will try to call you later in the week so we can discuss this further. Thanks for your patience and for your interest in our boys. (I am the father of a 19 year old boy/man, so I have at least a little experience with what you are up against).
I will talk with you soon,
B.Conlon
Director of Student Support Services
And another:
I have just finished reading and researching the link and information you sent me this week. I was very interested in this information and I feel it is right on as to its finding. I will be bringing it up with the board and I am send a link with the Raising Cain info and a Newsweek article to a principal that I have discussed the information with. I am sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. Thank you, L. Caldwell
So what does all this mean? Well, coupled with the sudden influx of coverage on this matter - boys getting petitions together to reinstate "tag" back into recess (it was banned because it was too "violent"), the newsweek article, several news channels covering it briefly, I think it is a great time to use that momentum to project this issue forward. Over and over again I have witnessed or heard about the confiscation of items like footballs, basketballs, kickballs, etc. during recess due to things getting "out of control", the 4 to 1 ratio of boys to girls in detention and ISS. Playground structures are being built with the primary focus being on what could possibly go wrong. Jungle gyms, elevated structures involving climbing are so a thing of the past. Kids fall. Yikes! Lawsuit! Kids crash into stuff! So get rid of it. Soon it will be just grass on a big empty lot that the kids can mill around on, not running, milling, in an orderly and calm manner. Yawn.
The time is now, I think. Before another little boy is made to feel that there is something inherently wrong witht the way he is wired...we need to change some things.
Most importantly, schools have got to start adapting for boys. Boys learn differently than girls. The system is set up for girls. Boys either need to fit into that system or they fall by the wayside. The problem is you cannot get a lion to be a bird no matter how much you medicate, punish, insist, cajole, or humiliate him. He will never ever be able to fly. Teaching boys in a way that they can absorb or identify with is the only way to truly get them involved with learning.
I have contacted a couple of news stations in my area, and will contact a newspaper, to see if they will come to the board meeting.
Should be interesting.
I was forwarded your email messages below by Ms. Hauenstein, one of our school board members. First, let me say thank you for raising the issue. This is a topic that needs to be addressed by the school district and our community at large (as I think your message suggests).
Our Health and Safe Schools Specialist, James Beam, has been preaching about these issues, ever since he read William Pollack's book, Real Boys, several years ago. Whenever he makes a presentation, James is certain to bring up the issue. To a small degree, I address it whenever I am talking about the 40 Developmental Assets, or when I talk about the importance of School Connectedness. But, truth be told, those brief mentions are not enough and they don't address the problems head on. They are not sufficient to address what to do about boys being the subject of disciplinary actions at schools so much more than girls. They don't begin to address why boys are on stimulant medications for behavior at a ratio of 4 to 1, compared to girls.
As you are probably aware, Newsweek recently did a cover story about the way boys are educated. Hopefully, the articles contained in that issue will raise awareness to some degree.
However, I think the video, Raising Cain, may be an excellent addition to our staff training, as you suggest. I have not seen it, but am very interested. I will see if it is already available from our professional library and if not, I will purchase it. (Thanks for your offer to buy it, by the way, but it seems like a worthwhile use of District funds to me.)
The video might be a good first step in getting a conversation going about the issues. You are right, too, about the many things that compete for our attention when it comes to providing top notch education for our kids. We may have a hard time getting everyone to focus on this particular concern, when there are so many things to attend to. That shouldn't stop us from trying.
I will be out of the office at a conference this Monday and Tuesday. However, I will try to call you later in the week so we can discuss this further. Thanks for your patience and for your interest in our boys. (I am the father of a 19 year old boy/man, so I have at least a little experience with what you are up against).
I will talk with you soon,
B.Conlon
Director of Student Support Services
And another:
I have just finished reading and researching the link and information you sent me this week. I was very interested in this information and I feel it is right on as to its finding. I will be bringing it up with the board and I am send a link with the Raising Cain info and a Newsweek article to a principal that I have discussed the information with. I am sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. Thank you, L. Caldwell
So what does all this mean? Well, coupled with the sudden influx of coverage on this matter - boys getting petitions together to reinstate "tag" back into recess (it was banned because it was too "violent"), the newsweek article, several news channels covering it briefly, I think it is a great time to use that momentum to project this issue forward. Over and over again I have witnessed or heard about the confiscation of items like footballs, basketballs, kickballs, etc. during recess due to things getting "out of control", the 4 to 1 ratio of boys to girls in detention and ISS. Playground structures are being built with the primary focus being on what could possibly go wrong. Jungle gyms, elevated structures involving climbing are so a thing of the past. Kids fall. Yikes! Lawsuit! Kids crash into stuff! So get rid of it. Soon it will be just grass on a big empty lot that the kids can mill around on, not running, milling, in an orderly and calm manner. Yawn.
The time is now, I think. Before another little boy is made to feel that there is something inherently wrong witht the way he is wired...we need to change some things.
Most importantly, schools have got to start adapting for boys. Boys learn differently than girls. The system is set up for girls. Boys either need to fit into that system or they fall by the wayside. The problem is you cannot get a lion to be a bird no matter how much you medicate, punish, insist, cajole, or humiliate him. He will never ever be able to fly. Teaching boys in a way that they can absorb or identify with is the only way to truly get them involved with learning.
I have contacted a couple of news stations in my area, and will contact a newspaper, to see if they will come to the board meeting.
Should be interesting.
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