How to help girls at home with school assignments
As teachers and administrators work to improve the educational environment in classrooms, the American Association of School Administrators is urging school districts to make sure their schools have staff dedicated to providing girls with classroom assignments.
The AAAS, which represents teachers and school administrators, said it is now encouraging schools to hire more “female-to-male” staff, such as psychologists and social workers, who have expertise in addressing the needs of female students.
“This can make a big difference in the lives of our students,” said Laura A. Smith, the association’s president.
“It is a big responsibility and a great opportunity for teachers, administrators, parents, and students to do something about it.”
The AAPS said in its 2017 State of the Education report that the number of female teachers in the United States is on the rise, with a total of 2.5 million more women than men teaching in the nation’s schools.
But, Smith said, the number is still smaller than that of male teachers, which is now more than three times as many as female teachers.
“I am not advocating for the elimination of gender,” she said.
“But, the fact that we are seeing more women working in these professions speaks to the need for the profession to be more gender-inclusive.”
To be considered, a school must be a high-performing one with an enrollment of 1,000 or more students.
Schools with more than 1,500 students have the lowest percentage of women.
The group also said it recommends hiring at least two full-time, career-development psychologists, social workers and a counselor.
It also recommends hiring a social worker or psychologist who is licensed to practice psychology and who has training in dealing with students’ psychological needs.
The recommendations also call for increasing the number and diversity of female mentors in schools, from a school counselor to an adult mentor to include those in schools and schools outside of school districts.
The association also called on school districts and schools to offer more flexible hours to students and increase their mentoring and work-study opportunities for girls.
The group also recommended that schools provide more opportunities for students to work outside of their home classrooms and work in more challenging settings, such at lunchrooms, playgroups and libraries.
The American Association for the Advancement of Colored People (AAACP), which represents educators, said in a statement it is encouraged that more schools are using gender-neutral and “gender-inclusive” titles on their website and in their curriculum.AAACP’s statement said it also encourages schools to encourage teachers and other school personnel to use the “gender neutral” label, which has come to be increasingly common on school-related sites.
“We are proud of our nation’s diversity and the fact is, we’re not the only country that still has a long way to go,” AAACP President and CEO Mary Ellen O’Hara said.