Single-Sex Classrooms Challenged by ACLU

Lawsuit alleges illegal gender-based segregation and discrimination

A West Virginia middle school is allegedly violating the Constitution by implementing single-sex classrooms. The school is now being sued by the American Civil Liberties Union, who claim that segregation by gender not only runs afoul of federal law, but also perpetuates prejudicial stereotypes.

Sixth graders at Van Devender Middle School in Parkersburg, West Virginia are being separated by gender in most of their classes. The US Department of Education determined in 2006 that schools could segregate students by sex provided there was a compelling reason. But it also maintained that such changes must be strictly voluntary for parents and students. The ACLU's lawsuit claims that parents were not consulted about the changes at Van Devender.

"These programs hurt kids who don't fit the idea of how a stereotypical boy or girl is supposed to learn," said ACLU staff attorney Sarah Rogers.

Surprisingly, same-sex education is an idea that has been supported by both sides of the political spectrum. Hillary Clinton claimed in 2009 that for girls in particular, the method of instruction "gives them so much more confidence in themselves."

Via Raw Story and The Republic.

Are single-sex classrooms good for education outcomes?

[WaterHaMarlin]

What is it when children are raised in a same sex relationship?

[Amos777]

Life time of confusion... That's what it is...

[Lorth]

Normally, I find myself on the same side of the discussion with the ACLU. On this particular issue - I believe they're wrong. If this truly helps kids to a better education and/or learning experience - I believe we have to trust the educator's judgement.

[Real4WheelDrv]

I think they are, would cause slightly less drama...and apparently the ACLU hasn't been in many schools lately. The students themselves do a much better job of being jerks and enforcing sexist, classist, racist, and stereotypical ideas than a simple change in classroom makeup would. I know I'd have an easier time teaching some kids if they were more concerned with the head on their shoulders than the one in their pants, and the same applies to a good number of the girls i've taught, more concerned with talking to cute guys instead of doing classwork. I notice they don't say much about the possibility that teachers might influence students thinking, though it's implied, but why should that bother them? Adults already brainwash kids to believe the way they do...just take a look at any political function and see how many kids stand around on stage or in a crowd waving flags like glorified props.

[Thunderchicken]

Are the parents complaining? If not, the ACLU has no place filing this suit. It's none of their concern.

[CommonSense]

As a matter of fact, YES the parents are complaining.
http://www.aclu.org/blog/womens-rights/my-dau...

[hwyangel]

@CommonSense
I read the letter you posted and from what I understand, the parent was not concerned about the segregation as much as the different treatment between the boys and girls classes.

[Just_Lisa]

ACLU needs to butt out. Yes I think segregation is a good idea. I would take it a step further and have all girl school, and all boy school. On opposite sides of the city. Lol. I'm speaking in terms for them all to have the best education possible. No opposite sex for distraction. Education is the most important part of our kids lives, and they don't realize it. Till its too late. Then two, three kids of their own they want to kick their own arses for not doing better in school.

[Thunderchicken]

Education is the most important part of our kids lives, and they don't realize it. Till its too late. Then two, three kids of their own they want to kick their own arses for not doing better in school.

Amen. I've seen too many of my friends from high school make that mistake.

[Just_Lisa]

@Thunderchicken I figured I would REALLY get bashed for this thought.
Lol

[Thunderchicken]

@Just_Lisa

Not by me. Coming out of high school with a baby to take care of has to be rough. I've had three good friends become adults before they should have had to.

So far I've been able to scare my daughters enough that I don't think it'll happen to them. If I can get them through collage I'll be happy. Then I'll turn eighteen again. ;-)

[Just_Lisa]

@Thunderchicken yay for you!! I wish you luck with your girls! I only have one son, just graduated high school. I have begged, pleaded and bartered, I can not talk him into going straight into college. He wants to wait a year, Take a break. If I had a dime for every time I've heard this.

[Thunderchicken]

@Just_Lisa

Thank you. It can still work with your son. I didn't go to collage till I'd been out of high school for a while. After working two jobs at a time for about a year, I wised up and went to night school.

[marine1]

It will never be a perfect world that we live in. We will all, always have different views and beliefs. To try to legislate morality or to regulate how one should think, has never and will never work. The more knowledgeable society becomes,the more difficult we will be to lead or direct.

[truthsayer]

Truth

[Bambi]

It's an interesting concept. In the 19th and early 20th centuries didn't the girls go to their schools and boys to thiers? Or maybe I've read too many fiction novels about that period.

[renee]

I think you are right, in mexico they still have some schools specifically for girls called "Academias" which translates to Academys, they've had them since the 60's and no one complained until now? Hmmmm.... boys never had such thing, now it's gender segregation? Hmmmmm they should keep schools for one or the other gender if that's what's best for them, jails have gender segregation, because it is nessesary, if it is nessesary for schools to do the same, they should do it. There was a reason for those academias designed for girls only, men never felt discriminated against, they just thought it is the right thing to do for whatever reason, not that they felt discriminated.

[truthsayer]

Most schools in the time period had boys and girls in the same class but also they had all grade levels in the same class population levels were small and since community's had to pay for there own education they usually had one room school houses and one teacher. The older kids helped teach the younger. I am by no means how ever endorsing anything the ACLU has to say in this matter. Single sex classrooms seem like a good idea based on what I've read.

[Bambi]

@truthsayer
I agre and thanks for your response.
There are still today some finishing schools for young ladies around. I think there's one in Dallas still.
So far no one has complained about it.

[Bambi]

@renee
Well, when you consider that the feminine movement has acted up so much that now girls can play football on a boys team, baseball, etc. Wonder how that plays out if the opposite is true. I haven't heard of any boy wanting to play on a girls' team. He'd be laughed out of the neighborhood if he did.

[renee]

@Bambi we may be talking about gender segregation here, i don't opposse it if it's for the right cause, there's always time for girls and boys to get togheter im a different way, but when segregation is needed it should be enforced like in jail and public restrooms even though there are restrooms for both gender to use only one.

[Keyjo]

I think the ACLU's concern here, is that the parents were NOT notified prior to the decision.
If it provides for a better education, I'm all for it. Sometimes politically correct is incorrect. It's not the same thing as racial segregation.
I went to a private all boys boarding school for a time and had an absolute blast. It was probably the best school year of my life.

[WaterHaMarlin]

Imm sore it wuz.

[CanadianIndy]

I agree. So long as there's a choice for the parents, or kids (depending on age), it's all good. But as soon as they skip the notification step...tsk tsk.

[Wilberhum]

I think Single-Sex Classrooms are great. As long as the parents have a choice.

[ir0nw0lfe]

Let's start with the fact that I'm usually against anything the ACLU wants. I have no problem with sex segregation if the patents are alright with it. I question the wisdom however of not allowing teens a safe somewhat supervised enviroments in which both sexes can interact without having sex. I think that boys and girls learn quite a bit about relationships and each other that builds foundations for interaction down the road. Again I'm not talking a having sex. I'm talking about friendships and crushes and socializing. I knew many a boy or girl in college who went completely wild because this was their first experience with freedom and didn't know how to prioritize their life, studies, or their relationships. They went hogwoild with sec and drinking and drug experimentation. Seems those who had some of those interactions earlier on handled their new found freedoms a bit more responsibly. Not all but many did .

[VCP]

I've been saying that division of the sexes for educations sake was the way to go for a lot of years. The ACLU can be the best and the worst organization. It's all according to what side your on. In this case they need to butt out!!

[CommonSense]

The problem with this is it works on stereotypes (or tendencies depending on if you believe they are true). What about the rights of the kids who don't fit them? Their learning will suffer.
The idea that this will help kids by removing the distraction of the opposite-sex is also suspect. Kids need to learn how to socializing with the opposite sex. What's going to happen when they get out into the real world and know nothing about dealing with the opposite sex?
People do have different learning styles. If they found an objective way of testing for that, and the result was that an overwhelming majority of the time people in one group were boys and in another group girls and they segregated that way I'd have no problem with it, because then the few students who are the exception to the norm would still be educated in the way that's best for them.

[CommonSense]

http://www.aclu.org/blog/womens-rights/what-h...

This has some examples of what goes wrong with this approach.
It mentions a girl who learns best by reading and writing things asking for more time to copy notes being told that "Girls learn best through auditory input".
In these schools you're not an "individual" you're a "boy" or a "girl" and your own individual learning style is treated as being irrelevant.

[Wilberhum]

You are assuming the curriculum would deffer based on sex.
But obviously you have no knowledge about the subject.

[CommonSense]

@Wilberhum
This is about the same school.

[Xenocracy]

It "perpetuates prejudicial stereotypes"? How?

[CanisCanemEdit]

We complain that our kids aren't doing well in school compared to the rest of the world....and then we demand that our immature children are placed in coed classes to learn about sex....and then we tell them how great sex is and hand them some condoms and send them out the door....then when little Suzie gets preggers she is lavished with extra attention and special considerations....and her little immature friends see this and they want to be special too....so we get to have special programs for special girls...which creates the huge, self feeding beurocracy that is all dependent on WHAT?

Our children having children. After all, the elites must keep the cattle breeding, eh?

[Wilberhum]

LOL that is all I can say. Well that and LMAO

[FollowTheMoney]

Like it or not there is a difference between males and females. Many of this countries problems are rooted in the masculation of females and the emasculation of the males. Trying blend the two futile.

[Stratton]

I personally don't believe in single-sex education, because I don't think it prepares students to function in the real world working with (and competing with) both genders. However, I think all options should be on the table when it comes to finding the best way to educate kids. I don't oppose single-sex education options, provided that it's an option and not a mandate.

[Realthinker]

Oh good heavens. Segregating the kids by sex creates an atmosphere more condusive to learning by eliminating the distraction of the opposite sex. Before the "sexual revolution", which created our current mess, many private high schools were segregated by sex and nobody had a problem with it. Just what "rights" are the kids being deprived of? Flirting? That's what football games are for if you're a girl! In this day and age adopting anything that would improve learning must be nipped in the bud. Enter the ACLU.

[FollowTheMoney]

You are so right. What ever happened to common sense.

[bobrob]

They certainly can't hurt. How does the ACLU get it's funding? Not
from my taxes, I hope.

[mimi57]

Yes the ACLU gets it's funding from taxpayers and they support the most vile agendas imaginable, including NAMBLA, the North American
man/boy love association. Disgusting, eh?!