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While much of our culture minimizes fundamental differences between boys and girls, some schools embrace these disparities to create a more robust learning environment. All-girl public high schools may not be the norm in most school districts, but the existing schools appear to thrive. These schools cater to female students much differently than traditional co-ed classroom settings, and research indicates that the single-sex approach may have significant advantages.

Learning Differences by Gender

To understand the potential benefits of an all-female education, we must begin with an overview of the learning differences between genders. According to Scholastic, girls and boys enter school using parts of their brains quite differently. Girls use their left hemispheres in early grades to excel in writing, reading, and speaking. Right-hemisphere development helps girls tune in to the feelings of teachers and other students.

On the other hand, boys in the early years use their left hemispheres to recall important facts, while the right hemispheres are used for visual-spatial and visual-motor skills. This may, in part, explain why boys tend to excel in math, science, and geography in the early years, while girls perform better in basics like reading and writing. These generalizations do not always apply to all children, but they indicate essential strengths and weaknesses that tend to differ between the two genders.

When hormones start revving, they can also affect how girls perform in school. Michelle Russell, co-director of the Young Woman's Leadership Charter School in Chicago, told

While the Montessori Method has been quite popular in early education, more and more public charter schools from kindergarten through middle school are adopting Maria Montessori’s philosophies as well. In fact, there are more than 300 public schools in the United States that currently utilize the Montessori Method, and specifically, there are 150 Montessori charter schools. In an age of standardized tests and intense academic pressure, it seems that a growing group of parents and children are turning towards the Montessori Method.

What is the Montessori Method?

In a stark contrast to our traditional education model, the Montessori philosophy is a more holistic, individualized approach that places an emphasis on “following the child.” One-age classrooms are replaced by multi-age environments, and the prevalence of paper and textbooks is traded for multi-sensory educational tools. Instead of adhering to strict lesson plans, children are allowed to select their curriculum, spending as much time as needed in mastering the subject matter.

In addition, unlike traditional schools, Montessori schools do not believe in issuing report cards with numbers or grades, as outlined by the (NAMTA). Progress is not measured through quantified numbers, but rather through a “reporting and record keeping system” that details observations made throughout the quarter. Rather than seeing an “A” grade for math or a “B” for science, parents of Montessori students will see qualitative evaluations on the report cards for variables including attitude, sense of order,

Bake sales are a longstanding tradition at public schools. Parents and students use them to raise money for special field trips, sports equipment, and other luxuries that tight school budgets cannot afford. However, a new rule in New York City’s public schools is attempting to reduce the number of bake sales, prompting outrage from fans of this American tradition.

This video describes how to "fail" childhood obesity; schools nationwide are banning bake sales. And they're taking away not only the sweet treats but fundraising money.

New Rule Limits Sales of Homemade Baked Goods in Schools

As the reports, New York City’s public schools have adopted a new rule that allows PTAs to hold fundraisers that include homemade baked goods only “once a month or weekdays after 6 p.m.”

PTAs and other school organizations can still hold fundraisers at different times, but they cannot sell homemade baked goods at these fundraisers. Instead, they may sell fresh fruits and vegetables or items selected from 27 packaged foods that meet the New York City Health Department’s calorie, fat, and sodium standards.

The new rule is part of a more significant effort by New York City’s Department of Education to reduce obesity among public school students. Eric Goldstein, chief executive of School Food and Transportation for the New York City Department of Education, tells the New York Times that 40 percent of

Quaker schools have been quietly thriving throughout the country for a number of years, and for parents who find that traditional public and private schools do not provide the environment they want for their children, Quaker schools are an ideal choice. From six Quaker schools in California to eight in New York, and even the one in DC where President Obama's daughters attend, these campuses challenge traditional education's standard teaching methods.

While the overtly Quaker schools today are all private, there may be a future movement wherein charter schools become quietly inspired by Quaker philosophies - minus the religious components.

What is Quakerism?

A Quaker education is one that focuses on the development of the individual student, and the school environment is meant to cultivate "a strong sense of social understanding, skills to deal with adversity, tolerance and respect for others, and a strong sense of self-worth so that [students] have the power needed to succeed," according to a graduate of a Quaker school quoted by .

A Quaker education focuses on the core values of Quakerism, which are called testimonies:

• Peace
• Equality
• Simplicity
• Integrity
• Community
• Service

The first Quaker school in America, the , was originally opened in 1689 as a public school, opening its doors to all students of all socioeconomic means. In fact, Penn Charter was one of the first schools to offer financial aid for its students and teach females and students of all racial

Public school gardens have been sprouting across the country, especially in California, which is the home state of culinary pioneer and “slow food” spokeswoman Alice Waters. As a champion of local agriculture, Waters inspired one of the first school gardens in Berkeley, California, and many public school campuses have followed in these green footsteps.

However, a fierce debate over the merits of public school gardens has erupted following the ���ٱ����Գپ���’s that criticizes the practice of devoting class time in public schools to the cultivation of school gardens. Flanagan argues that by allowing students to spend school hours working in a garden, we do them a grave disservice. She reminds her readers that California's public school system fails to keep one out of five high school students from dropping out prior to graduating and that the achievement gap between African-American and Latino students and their white and Asian peers persists year after year. When a state's public school system is failing to meet the academic needs of its students, it should not be spending time and resources on a luxury like a school garden, argues Flanagan.

However, Flanagan's anti-garden polemic has not been taken lightly by those who count themselves as advocates of school gardens. Flanagan's piece sparked responses from those on both sides of the debate, forcing parents and teachers to clarify their positions on this now controversial topic.

This video looks at the benefits of school gardens.