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Could Public, Single-Sex Schools Make A Comeback?
ResumeAn argument has raged for a long, long time about the benefits of single-sex education. And now that argument is coming back to Massachusetts. Boston is home to some very well respected all-girls and all-boys private schools — like Roxbury Latin and Winsor. But in the Massachusetts public school system, single-sex schools are prohibited.
But Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and Boston Public School Superintendent Carol Johnson have been pushing for a change, and just last week Beacon Hill lawmakers gave initial approval to legislation that would permit single-sex public schools in Massachusetts.
Proponents say single-gender schools provide a better learning environment by cutting down on distractions. Others say that schools like Roxbury Latin and Winsor are successful not because they are single-sex, but because of the resources they have as private schools.
Guests:
- Rosemary Salomone, Kenneth Wang Professor of Law at St. John's University; author of "Same, Different, Equal: Rethinking Single-Sex Schooling"
- Rosalind Barnett, senior scientist at the Women's Research Center at Brandeis University; co-author of "The Truth About Girls and Boys: Challenging Toxic Stereotypes About Our Children"
More:
This segment aired on July 16, 2012.