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Brakes put on all-boys school
January 12, 2010
LOUISE BROWN
EDUCATION REPORTER
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The Toronto District School Board likely will not open an all-boys grade school this fall because many trustees oppose segregating the sexes in different buildings.
The board's planning and priorities committee voted Monday night to put the brakes on a controversial proposal by education director Chris Spence to open a boys' "leadership academy" this September from kindergarten to Grade 3 in a bid to boost boys' skills and lower their dropout rate.
The idea has become such a political hot potato – "We should not in any way, shape or form be going anywhere near approving something so contentious," warned trustee Howard Goodman — that the committee turned down a motion Monday to have Spence prepare a report by April on the implementation of an all-boys school.
Instead, they asked him to report only on the "desirability" of such a school – a change that doesn't imply it's a done deal already.
While the school could still go ahead in future, trustees said they want more discussion before giving it the green light.
"Plans for the boys' leadership academy this fall are off the table – a number of trustees are very strongly opposed to the idea," said board chair Bruce Davis, who said he is still interested in exploring the idea.
The proposal has become so politically charged, Spence removed any mention of it from his revised "vision of hope" presented to trustees last night for approval in principle.
The new blueprint, two months after the original version was unveiled to the public, refers only broadly to "providing supports to deepen our focus on gender-specific strategies that specifically target improved achievement for our boys."
The committee's recommendations will go to the board in February for approval.
Trustee Sheila Ward said she is concerned about the achievement gap between boys and girls, particularly with more girls than boys now going to university.
But Ward favours single-gender classes within a coed school, rather than an entire school for just one sex.
Trustee Josh Matlow said he has received hundreds of emails from parents divided on the issue, with many suggesting a pilot project for single-sex classes within coed schools.
Single-sex classes also are part of Spence's proposal for helping boys do better in school, as is making all classes more "boy-friendly" in both the material they teach and how it is taught.
Spence has set up a Boys' Education Task Force of academics, staff and trustees to examine how to help boys catch up to their female classmates in reading and writing, as well as become more engaged with learning.
Boys are 10 times more likely to be expelled than girls and are far more likely to drop out.
"We're looking at how you close the achievement gap between boys and girls, both on a system-wide basis and through the idea of single-gendered classes and even a boys' academy," said Davis, a member of the task force.
"I'm open to the idea of the boys' academy but I'm also somewhat cautious, having gone recently to observe some public boys' schools in the United States," he said.
"So we're looking at the academic research and also at what boys in our schools told us through the student survey, to figure out the best way to close the achievement gap between boys and girls."
Toronto Star
A proposal from the TDSB's top staffer to establish a "Boys Academy", has been stopped in its tracks...for now.
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