Dallas ISD Discusses Plan To Open All-Boys Elementary School
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Options and opportunities. They are the principles driving Dallas ISD's new "school choice" focus. Now, parents will have a new option to consider. The district plans to open an all-boys pre-Kindergarten through second grade school in the Fall.
"You'll see project-based learning so that the subjects come alive for them," said Shakeatha Butler, DISD's Director of New Choice School Implementation. "You'll see students very active, we're creating leaders, we're creating thinkers."
The school will open in the Fall and then add a grade each year until it accommodates students through 8th grade. CBS 11 visited DISD's Young Men's Leadership Academy at Florence Middle School today to see what was different on single-gender campuses and found that the learning is different -- by design.
"We really cater to how boys learn best," said principal Chris Barksdale, who stresses that the sentiment isn't sexism, it's science. So classroom instruction is often "active."
"After 15 to 20 minutes you'll see our teachers incorporate strategies to give our boys a brain break," said Dr. Barksdale. "You truly see our boys collaborating with each other and learning what it means to be a brother and part of a brotherhood."
So, along with strong academics, the culture at the school is key.
"They want me to be 'I can do it, I can do this, I got this," said seventh-grade student Shain Neff, who said his parents were hoping the school would boost his confidence. And even he can admit that girls were a "distraction," and his grades have improved at the all-boys middle school.
"When girls are around, boys... they just try and show off and do a lot of extra," said Shain. "Instead of focusing on the main task."
DISD leaders say the success of the all-girls SOLAR Prep Elementary prompted parents to push for a similar same gender option for boys. And Butler thinks parents will be impressed with the final product.
"I think they'll feel better about where we're going as a district and where we're going as a Dallas community," said Butler.
