LAUSD’s new superintendent Michelle King has kept her plans for the district fairly close to the vest, so it made headlines this week when she announced in her first interview her belief single-sex campuses could be a way to attract families to the district.
It’s a controversial topic, and one that’s currently being disputed in a lawsuit in Austin, TX. Superintendent King says single-sex schools are one of several ways to potentially improve academic achievement and make the nation's second-largest school system more attractive to parents.
But opponents say there’s no definitive research supporting improved academic achievement and that it can have unintended consequences, such as perpetuating gender stereotypes and creating educational inequalities.
Have you experienced single sex schooling? Did it work for you? Do you think it’s a good option for LAUSD to attract more students?
Guests:
Kathy Piechura-Couture, a professor of education at Stetson University in Central Florida
Juliet Williams, Professor of Gender Studies and Associate Dean of Social Sciences at UCLA, and author of “The Separation Solution? Single-Sex Education and the New Politics of Gender Equality”