School's 'Boys Only' Field Trip Teaches Discrimination at an Early Age

on February 13, 2012 at 3:30 PM

movie theater boys
No Girls AllowedDid you know that there are "boy" movies and "girl" movies? No, I'm not talking about the "What's happening to your body?" education films, I'm talking about the regular old multiplex films like Star Wars. Which I, personally, have seen 50 times. But if I attended high school in Dallas, instead of just up I-35 in Oklahoma, I would not have been allowed to go on a field trip to see a movie of that nature because it would most likely be considered a boys-only adventure.

Even in 2012 5,700 Dallas area boys were taken to see Red Tails, the film about the African-American pilots, known as the Tuskegee Airmen, who fought in World War II. But the girls were not allowed on this particular -- and incredibly expensive -- field trip. You know, because girls aren't into history and stuff. Major fail, Dallas Independent School District. Major.

I would love to hear from some of the girls who were left behind on this day, yet allowed to watch Akeelah and the Bee if they so chose. While I'm sure there are some girls (and some boys, let's be honest) who have zero interest in seeing Red Tails, I guarantee you there are also some ticked off lady students in this bunch. Most likely some ticked off parents as well who don't approve of the district spending over $50,000 for a boys-only field trip. A field trip that involves highlighting discrimination while actively discriminating against the girls in the schools.

Seriously, who decided this was a good idea? Maybe Jon Dahlander, the Dallas ISD spokesperson, who said the following, "There is only so much available space at the movie theater, so the decision was made for boys to attend the movie." Dude. Do you know what would have been a better way to decide this? Shifts of students going at different showings.

After all, girls and boys should all know about our nation's history of racial discrimination. Although I suppose you just gave the entire school system a huge lesson in the ongoing discrimination of women. So there's that.

How mad would you be if your daughter wasn't allowed to go on this field trip?

Image via Yahoo!

About the author April Peveteaux

writes about anything that gets stuck in her craw. A mom of two in Los Angeles, she can't believe she practically lives in the country now after attempting to raise kids in Brooklyn.

Filed Under: books & media, education, girls

Comments (14)

i.heart.nerds

on Feb 13, 2012 at 3:36 PM

Such stupidity should not still be going on. Those planners should be ashamed of themselves.

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Maevelyn

on Feb 13, 2012 at 3:53 PM

Ummm... did all the boys in the school attend? What class or activity was this linked to? I feel like field trips should be educational, which means if the American History Teachers feel this film is educational and accurate than those classes should go. You can't just have a school funded guys night out.

LittleManMama

on Feb 13, 2012 at 3:57 PM

So why not plan 2 trips and divide the class alphabetically? That's the lamest excuse ever

interzone

on Feb 13, 2012 at 4:07 PM

Anyone else here from Dallas isn't the least bit surprised by this! DISD is an absolutely awful public school district, so this is pretty mild compared to some other things that have gone on their schools.

To answer Maevelyn's question, this was supposedly a Black History Month-related field trip. In the local paper one teacher was interviewed the day after the boys went to the film, and he said none of his students came back with any new appreciation for black history. He said they were all focused on the sex, violence, and profanity used in the film. How educational and a fine use of $57,000!

Nonmember comment from Q

on Feb 13, 2012 at 4:14 PM

Texas? shocker.

zandhmom2

I'm more upset over spending $50,000. to take students to this than the discrimination pov. Don't get me wrong, the school shouldn't discriminate but what a waste of school funded money. Couldn't the school have found a movie they could bring into the school for all of the students to watch?

Nonmember comment from Kate

on Feb 13, 2012 at 4:58 PM

I'm from Dallas, and what kills me is that DISD is shutting down 11 schools because of money issues - a 50k movie outting seems ridiculous. And the fact that only boys were allowed to go is maddening - but apparently only the superior male brain can understand such advanced teaching methods as watching movie, girls would just paint their nails, try and distract the boys with their sexting, or fix their hair and makeup in the bathroom :eyeroll:

Emberbaby

This is nonsense! Parents should be taking this up with the Dallas ISD Superintendent and rip him a new one.

the4mutts

on Feb 13, 2012 at 5:10 PM

I wouldn't jump the gun if I were the parent. The school year isn out. How do we know they're not working on a girls only field trip?
Btw, cafe mom is "girls only". So are womens retreats, girls esteem building camps, etc.
I wouldn't call it unfair just yet, unless this school makes a bad habit of scheduling excessive & expensive boys only trips, and never do the same for the girls.