It's Time For An All Male High School
By: Richard A. Rowe
Reversing a 30-year-old federal policy, the Bush Administration is now encouraging single-sex public education. Brian Jones, general counsel for the U.S. Department of Educations stated that the purpose for this shift in federal opinion is to encourage flexibility and innovation in the public school reform efforts without violating federal laws against discrimination. Alas, it took a Republican administration to encourage state and local government to think "outside the box" and to seriously consider school models that are working.
All across the country - including Baltimore - same-sex schools and classes are working for the majority of students who attend and eventually graduate from these unique schools. A recent article in a local paper highlighted the success of same-sex schools in Long Beach California and in Baltimore city (Western High School) whose principal, Ms. Landa McLaurin was recently on a national radio talk show discussing the Bush Administration's efforts, and who passionately emphasized the value and need for same sex-schools. Once upon time, cities across had same sex schools which served as premier educational institutions for the "best and brightest" and where academic success was the norm and not the exception.
Today, in every urban and suburban school district, male students- especially African American male students, are more likely to be retained, suspended, expelled and placed in special education classes and alternative schools. Moreover, they drop out of school earlier and end up passing through the revolving doors of most State's bulging prison industrial complex. And, if we examined the school performance data closer, we would probably find that their cumulative grade point averages and text scores are lower. Moreover, they make up a disproportionate number of underachievers in reading and math. Over the past fifteen years, the academic performance of African American male students has worsened, and their prospects for becoming productive citizens have dwindled.
Students who attend same-sex schools claim over and over again that their self-esteem improves and they are able to really focus on their studies without the daily male/female distractions. In other word, they are not preoccupied with impressing each other with their brawn, clothes or sex appeal. Thus, they get their work done. There are enough positive outcomes emanating from same sex schools to combat the specious arguments that " same-sex schools train students in an environment too different from the adult world." The adult world today, for this country's minority male populations, is starting to emulate the disaster going on in our public schools.
Fewer minority males are enrolled in college, or have professional jobs. They make up the largest percentage of our prison's inmates, drug abusers, homeless, and they are killing each other at an alarming rate. Of course, I would be the first to admit that same-sex schools in and of themselves cannot reverse this abomination; however, I contend that an all male high school in selected urban/suburban school districts, would be a very important first step in stemming the tide of failure for far too African American male students. Furthermore, I believe that an all male high school that is "male-centric," with creative and committed teachers who understand the unique learning styles of male students, smaller classes and "no girls" to distract them, would be quite effective and life-saving for many African American male students who have literally given up on public education.
It is time to either create an all male high school to meet the unique challenges facing our male students, or we will continue to send many of them to prisons, street corners and cemetaries. With the past and present success of same-sex schools and the dismal academic outcomes of African American male students, can we afford to not do whatever it takes to rescue our young men?
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