Accommodating Differences

When thinking about accommodating differences in education, I find I am pretty

torn on the subject. I believe that schools must make accommodations and be
respectful to the differences of students. I wholeheartedly agree with the idea of
difference, not deficit, which indicates that deficiencies are in the schools, not in
the population that is underachieving, (Fullinwider, 2005). I do think that the
Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA)
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSm3wOjkkVw) had good intentions, though I
wonder if it is truly doing the best for all of our students with disabilities. Ange
(1998) would argue that it is not and states until we come to realize that education
can never be equal unless each student is allowed and enabled to progress at his
own highest rate, our efforts to reform our public school system will continue to
fail. Additionally, is it in the best interest of our schools to create legislation that
can potentially bind schools to legal action that could cost cash-strapped district
thousands of dollars? (http://www.oregonlive.com/forest-
grove/index.ssf/2012/10/forest_grove_school_district_a.html)

It isnt that I believe we need to accommodate some differences and not others, but I
do find myself thinking that some differences need to be accommodated some times
and not acted upon other times. Is this fair? Specifically, I am thinking about gender.

Sadker and Zittleman (2007) primarily addressed the idea of gender bias as it exists
in institutional discrimination, or unfair prejudice against individuals as a result of
the way an organization works or delivers services,
(http://www.nhsgg.org.uk/content/default.asp?page=s1009_3_12). They were not
suggesting that overt discrimination generally exists, where boys are allowed to
study certain subjects while girls are not, but instead suggesting that the texts,
techniques, and materials used in the institution of education encourage many of the
traditional stereotypes and gender roles of men and women. They state that
gender is often the invisible issue in the curriculum, with the contributions and
experiences of women frequently absent, and list invisibility, stereotyping,
selectivity, fragmentation, linguistic bias, and cosmetic bias as the ways in which the
bias is seen in the classroom (Sadker and Zittleman, 2007).

Gender differences, however, are sometimes addressed in a more explicit way by
separating male and female students entirely. This can happen by separating for a
class or by attending separate schools all together. The Education Amendments Act,
Title IX, states that no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be
excluded form participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to
discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial
assistance,(Sadker and Zittleman, 2007). Surprisingly, this act does allow for such
separation, and there are schools around the country at the K-12 level that are
designated specifically to be single-gendered schools.
(http://schools.cranbrook.edu/podium/default.aspx?t=108388) I find it interesting
that while we do not allow this type of separation by race
(http://americanhistory.si.edu/brown/history/1-segregated/separate-but-
equal.html) it is allowed for gender. The political cartoon I included this week makes
a statement about the slippery slope this type of separation could lead to; where
schools for one gender may slowly begin to be better, creating a situation where
separate but equal may no longer be defined as such.

Additionally, when we separate students by gender, we imply that their gender is
the biggest diversifying factor, when in reality our students are different on a variety
of levels. While these many differences might be addressed by participation in
societies in college and beyond, (http://www.asee.org/about-
us/policy/diversity/diversity-organizations) Im not sure how we could possibly
accommodate these differences in a public school setting. Fullinwider (2005)
questioned multicultural education by asking, do we mean the elaborated and
canonical versions of the Hispanic student's home culture, say, or the particular,
quite possibly corrupted and vulgarized, version actually possessed by the student
and his family? If part of multicultural education involves helping students
appreciate their own cultures, what does this imply? So, if we cant assume that a
general stereotype of culture fits all students, how can we assume that a stereotyped
view of gender needs in education will benefit all students? Though fewer women
traditionally go into law and high degrees in medicine, I have a good friend whose
family is from India, and her parents told her from birth that those were the only
acceptable professions for her to pursue. Gender, for her, would not be the most
important differentiating factor.

With all of that said, I have to contradict myself with an example of separation of
genders that I not only support, but that I believe is necessary for student success.
When students begin choir in middle school, it is often customary for the director to
have a male ensemble and a female ensemble.
(http://www.choralnet.org/view/221071) While this division often also happens in
high school, in middle school it is less about enrollment numbers, as is usually the
case for high school programs, and more about physical differences in the
development of the voice. Male singers at this age are going through puberty and
have difficulties with their changing voice. When in an ensemble with girls, these
boys often feel embarrassed when asked to sing with the female soprano or alto
section if their voice has yet to change. Additionally, while those female parts may
better fit their voices than male tenor or bass designations, they are not the best
option for a developing male singer. When placed in an ensemble by gender,
directors can better choose music to fit the ever-changing ranges of the male singers
while providing them a safe place to explore as all of the boys are going through the
same changes, just at different times.

So why do I feel differently about this separation? I think the biggest factor for me is
that this separation is based on extensive research and experiences, which I just
dont have to support full separation in general classrooms. While Im not saying
that such research does not exist, Im not sure that I would be swayed even if it did.
While teachers could arguably address different needs and comfort levels of males
and females if separated, I believe that to do that entirely, as in attending gender-
specific schools, is more dangerous than beneficial.