Fighting Sexism In Schools
Other countries have coordinated anti-misogyny programs. What about the U.S.? PLUS Essential stories about AI harms and a Scott Galloway controversy.
Hi Readers!
I’m Christopher Pepper, an award-winning health educator and the co-author of Talk To Your Boys.
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In this edition:
The Research on Protecting Teacher Well-Being
Misogyny Is Rising in U.S. Classrooms. Where Is the National Response?
The Front Line In America’s Child-Vaccine Battle
How Political Chaos Is Affecting Americans’ Mental Health
Why Public School Families Are Protesting Linda McMahon’s Visits
Scott Galloway Is Wrong About Dads And Childbirth
How Did We End Up Threatening Our Kids’ Lives With AI?
The Research on Protecting Teacher Well-Being (Edutopia)
By Paige Tutt:Teaching is often referred to as a “calling”—but for many educators, it feels more like an endurance test. For decades, the demands of the job have expanded in every direction: longer hours, larger class sizes, wider academic gaps to close, and growing pressure to serve as de facto counselors and caregivers. It’s a recipe that can leave even the most passionate educators feeling drained.
The question of how to support and sustain teacher well-being is a cause close to cognitive scientist and Yale professor Laurie Santos’s own heart. She’s felt firsthand the strain of working in education and acknowledges that neither platitudes around “choosing joy” nor empty calls for self-care are likely to make a meaningful impact. Instead, she advocates for larger structural changes in schools and districts rooted in teacher feedback, alongside smaller, evidence-based tools that educators can use daily to reclaim a sense of balance. READ MORE
From Christopher - WHY DID I CHOOSE THIS STORY? I appreciate it when people recognize how complicated, emotional, and demanding teachers’ jobs are now. I love the idea of making systemic changes to provide eduators with more support.
Misogyny Is Rising in U.S. Classrooms. Where Is the National Response? (Ms. Magazine)
By Joel Levin: Educators and students are witnessing an alarming rise in gender-based harassment and hostile sexism. This includes rape “jokes,” degrading language toward female and LGBTQ+ students, and aggressive behavior that undermines school safety.
Online platforms and social media influencers create echo chambers producing a cultural shift in which women and girls are devalued, and gender equality is portrayed as a threat. As a result, girls may limit their classroom participation, avoid enrolling in certain courses, or feel discouraged from pursuing their career choices. Navigating hostile school environments can lead to self-censorship, reduced ambitions and damaging self-perceptions that constrain potential.
