Letter to BCCHS Principal

July 12, 2011

Birmingham CC High School

17000 Haynes St.
Van Nuys, CA 91406


Dear Principal Coates,

I am writing on behalf of 156 BCCHS parents who urge you to adopt single-sex classrooms at Birmingham High School.  As the proud parent of a Birmingham student, I have a personal stake in the value and success of our school and our students.  Both boys and girls would benefit from being in all-male or all-female classes.

For one thing, students perform better academically when separated by gender.  Students receive better grades and are in turn more likely to go to college.  When placed in a single-sex classroom, girls are more likely to ask questions, and boys are more likely to stay on task.

Not only do students learn more, but they actually feel better too. When the pressure to impress or look good for the opposite sex is taken out of the equation, students are more relaxed and feel better about themselves.  As a result, bullying decreases significantly, students fight less, and students are less likely to ditch their classes.  Self-esteem goes up and peer pressure goes down.

Given all these benefits, it would be unfair to our students to deny them the kind of rich learning environment that wealthy students enjoy at private schools like Marborough and Westpoint Prep.  Students might whine and complain about the change, but if we have their best interests at heart, there is only one right thing to do.

Sincerely,

Mr. Chris Rangel
(father of John Rangel)