All Girls: Single-Sex Education and Why It Matters

Anyone looking for statistics on how single-sex education helps girls should look elsewhere. This book, however, does provide a very accurate representation on what it is like for the parents, teachers, and students of all-girls schools. From the illustrous Marlborough in Los Angeles to the struggling Young Women's Leadership School in Harlem, readers get an idea of what it is like to be a hardworking young woman on either side of the poverty line. As a graduate of single sex education myself, I can relate to these stories. But I'm a little mystified in why this book's subtitle reads "Single-Sex Education and Why It Matters" because the author doesn't really tell you straight out why it does matter, just gives you stories of girls and hopes you can figure it out yourself.One thing that is blatantly missing from this book is how boys also would benefit from single-sex education. A lot of research focuses on how girls are getting the short-end of the stick when it comes to public education, but there is certainly a case to be made for boys when you consider that boys tend to be more aggressive and violent in general (at-risk kids) and could stand to be taught to slow down, think critically, and learn how to settle arguments in a non-violent manner. If New York city doesn't have an all-boys public school by now, they should really think about getting the funds to create one.

THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ FOR ANYONE GOING THROUGH THE COLLEGE PROCESS. I am a parent of a senior in high school and I have never gone through the college admissions process as a parent. There are so many tales from the classes before that trickle down through the years, that the process seems daunting before it even begins. Reading Karen's book made me think all along the way that what I was feeling was NORMAL. It was totally comforting to know that I was not the only one feeling anxious about not knowing which school my daughter might attend next year. Karen made me think I had a support group right here in this book. By reading it I saw a variety of people with a variety of responses to their outcomes. It really made me take a deep breath at the end of the book and realize that it will all work out in some way. I expect that I will keep referring back to this book all year for those times that I need to feel connected to those families who went through this process.