Dallas schoolgirls excluded from 'Red Tails' movie screening

[JeannaT]

How much truth is there to the thought the girls would rather see the movie about the girl who won the spelling bee, a female role model, and the boys would rather see a movie about a male role model? If I could see only one movie, I'd probably pick the Bee one myself.

Equal doesn't mean identical. Showing a successful military male role model to the boys, and a successful motivated scholar to the girls seems okay.

(I will add, about ten years ago my hometown newspaper ran an article about a field trip for 1st graders to the local hospital. It was to educate the kids on medical careers. The girls were dressed as nurses, and the boys were dressed as doctors. I'm not making this up. Unbelievable.)

 

[wfgodot]

The boys got to leave school to see the one movie; the girls had to stay in school to see the other. Given the choice - no choice, everyone likes a field trip.

 

[Nova]

How much truth is there to the thought the girls would rather see the movie about the girl who won the spelling bee, a female role model, and the boys would rather see a movie about a male role model? If I could see only one movie, I'd probably pick the Bee one myself.

Equal doesn't mean identical. Showing a successful military male role model to the boys, and a successful motivated scholar to the girls seems okay.

(I will add, about ten years ago my hometown newspaper ran an article about a field trip for 1st graders to the local hospital. It was to educate the kids on medical careers. The girls were dressed as nurses, and the boys were dressed as doctors. I'm not making this up. Unbelievable.)

As courts have ruled time and time again, separate-but-equal is almost never actually equal.

Women serve in our military. Men work as scholars. Even if it is true (and I'm sure it is) that most girls would prefer one film and most boys would prefer another (assuming the films are of equal quality (I don't know)), the jump from "most" to "all" in a manner that confirms stereotypes is not an acceptable choice in a public school system.

As people have pointed out, there were numerous other ways the matter could have been handled.

 

[JeannaT]

So I guess young women don't need role models? I really don't see what is good about the school apparently treating young women as second rate citizens.

I think a girl who is motivated and wins a spelling bee is a fabulous role model - I don't see anything "second rate" about that image.

BTW, I feel like we have bent over backwards to encourage girls, and not so much boys. There's certainly not a "take your son to work day". I see a LOT of leadership and confidence building programs that are strictly for girls. Girls now outnumber boys entering college, and graduating from college. It's not like they're being left out of success.

 

[jjenny]

I think a girl who is motivated and wins a spelling bee is a fabulous role model - I don't see anything "second rate" about that image.

BTW, I feel like we have bent over backwards to encourage girls, and not so much boys. There's certainly not a "take your son to work day". I see a LOT of leadership and confidence building programs that are strictly for girls. Girls now outnumber boys entering college, and graduating from college. It's not like they're being left out of success.

It was not a new movie and they stayed in the classroom while males had money spend on them to go to the movies. How is that fair?

 

[Velouria]

It was not a new movie and they stayed in the classroom while males had money spend on them to go to the movies. How is that fair?

$57,000, to be exact.

IMO, those funds could have been put to much better use serving the needs of both boys and girls in the DISD. I'm very much in favor of educating our kids about the contributions of black Americans, as well as introducing positive role models. I'm just not in favor of wasteful spending and promoting inequality.

 

[Sassygerl]

DISD sucks....you can trust me on that!!!!!:what:

 

[Nova]

One might also point out that "Akeelah and the Bee" is a good five years old. How many of the girls had already seen it? The boys' movie was just released.

Not really equal at all.

 

[JeannaT]

So basically no schools should try to reach out, try to do something fresh with your money. Just stay within your classroom and write on your chalkboards. Otherwise everyone will rip you to shreds.

Got it.

 

[JeannaT]

It was not a new movie and they stayed in the classroom while males had money spend on them to go to the movies. How is that fair?

Well, maybe they're trying to lift the males up to the achievement level of the girls. Girls are graduating from high school at higher levels than boys, being accepted to college more than boys and graduating college more than boys.

How is THAT fair?

 

[jjenny]

Well, maybe they're trying to lift the males up to the achievement level of the girls. Girls are graduating from high school at higher levels than boys, being accepted to college more than boys and graduating college more than boys.

How is THAT fair?

Whoever works harder does better-is that not fair?

 

[my_tee_mouse]

Snipped

As I said, because of limited seating.

Here's an idea: How about asking the kids which they'd prefer to see? Or arrange for two viewings? Or arrange for an older movie to be shown in the school auditorium (cafetorium, barfetorium...whatever they're calling it this year) where everyone could watch the same show? There are any number of options.

/signed/
A female who attended school in a district whose (disastrous) answer to desegregation was gender-specific schools

 

[Velouria]

So basically no schools should try to reach out, try to do something fresh with your money. Just stay within your classroom and write on your chalkboards. Otherwise everyone will rip you to shreds.

Got it.

Yep, that's exactly what I said. Chain those kids to their desks!

When the district is laying off teachers, downsizing, and facing increasing dropout rates, I'd dare say most Dallas parents are more concerned with children learning core basics, and far less concerned with expensive field trips.

Not all field trips need to be costly (or inequitable), and not all classroom experiences need be stale and dull. That's what I'm saying.

 

[SurfieTX]

The idea that the Tuskegee Airmen are only role models to boys is precisely the problem.

Exactly!


Elizabeth “Bessie” Coleman (January 26, 1892 – April 30, 1926)

 

[Nova]

Well, maybe they're trying to lift the males up to the achievement level of the girls. Girls are graduating from high school at higher levels than boys, being accepted to college more than boys and graduating college more than boys.

How is THAT fair?

It's not unfair unless girls are offered greater resources than boys.

But you do raise a good point and perhaps one the school in question was trying to address: how do we motivate boys to do better?

Jokes aside, I don't really have a problem with the school showing a film that dramatizes an inspirational event in African-American history (though I'm not crazy about inspiring boys to become warriors). But I do have a problem with treating either gender as if its members are second-class, which this decision did, however inadvertently.