<p>I have sons and boy-girl twins, and what is happening to boys within the public school system, especially, is just what is happening to their fathers and other men in our culture - a clear message that they are no different than the girls (though common sense screams otherwise), that there is no special place in the world for their gifts and unique male characteristics, that they are expendable and unnecessary. The effort to emasculate men reaches into the schools, too, because many of the women teaching now grew up being taught that men are not essential, not due any particular respect, and are inferior. No wonder boys pick up on the condescension. And they certainly pick up on it. My sons did when they were in public school (we homeschool now and would never go back.)</p>
<p>What is great, though, is that boys, in general, don’t care about playing the games that girls and grown women involve themselves in. When my kids were in public schools, and my sons would have to deal with female teachers who talked down to them, they respectfully listened and then they moved on - they could not have cared less about those teachers’ opinions of them. Typical boys, not concerned at all about what other women thought about them. My daughter received a great deal of praise and attention (and it was so much more than her twin brother, who achieved the same levels of academic success, and was often in the same classes, but who rarely heard a word of praise) and she did care about it - so much so at times that if she did not hear consistent praise, she automatically assumed she had done something wrong. Typical girl, too concerned about what other women thought about her.</p>
<p>While my sons respected all of their teachers, they were only impressed by what their male teachers had to say to them, even if those male teachers had something negative. Kind of like appreciating Simon Cowell for being straightforward and honest, if abrasive, than the touchy-feely flattery of Paula Abdul.</p>
<p>But really, hasn’t school become hostile to all kids these days? There have always been bullies (the scariest ones I knew were the girls who hung out smoking in the bathroom - I don’t think I ever used the junior high bathroom during my entire time in junior high.) School has become prison-like and so enervating. When my kids would come home and tell me about their days, I would find myself feeling as beyond bored and uninspired as they felt. Ugh. At least that is how it became for my kids, and they had access to what were supposed to be some of the best schools around. Those schools had nothing on my public school experience in the 70s and 80s, when I never felt imprisoned, but always felt free to learn and to pursue whatever I wanted. The guys I knew also felt empowered, or at least they felt engaged, because they still got involved in clubs and student leadership along with athletics and college prep academics. Our student council was a nice mix of boys and girls. These days, a boy holding a class office is a rarity. As my sons said, why bother? Their school’s student council did very little anyway, and my boys did not want to waste their time sitting around planning dances (their words.)</p>
<p>Of course, all of these empowered and encouraged girls running the schools these days walk around dressed in short shorts and tank tops, attempting to attract boys the old-fashioned way. I am not sure that demonstrates any real progress.</p>