In Of Boys and Men, Richard Reeves suggests broad proposals to address the male malaise in education, work, training, childcare, legal support, and policy inequities. Reeves addresses arguments against his proposals and considers related funding issues, but he does not attempt to navigate the complex politics needed for execution. Nevertheless, these five solutions offer a possible roadmap out of the crisis of boys and men.  Part 4.2 (upcoming) will describe nine more solutions, (6-14).

1. The most controversial proposal by Reeves: “redshirt” the boys. 

An equitable education system will be one that recognizes natural sex differences, especially the fact that boys are at a developmental disadvantage to girls at critical points in their schooling. ~ Richard Reeves

On average, the prefrontal cortex and cerebellum, which are involved in self-regulation, mature much earlier in girls than in boys. This fact has been dramatically under-reported and not addressed by our early childhood and primary school educational systems. For more information on boys’ and girls’ brain development, see the upcoming Part 5.1 in this series.

A Double Dose of Pre-K for the Boys

Reeves proposes that we enroll boys in a universal pre-K program at the same age as girls but give them an extra year before they move on.  Boys would get a double dose of pre-K.

“Red Shirting” – Start Elementary School a Year Later   

Boys would thus begin their regular elementary schooling a year later than girls; this is called “redshirting.” The main reason for starting boys later is so they will be a year older when they get to middle school and high school.

Children Older Than their Classmates Do Better

Redshirting got significant attention in 2008 when Malcolm Gladwell (Outliers) presented evidence that children older than their classmates do better on academic tests and in life generally. Gladwell argued that being either old or young within a class cohort leads children “into patterns of achievement and underachievement, encouragement and discouragement, that stretch on and on for years.”

Teachers and Affluent Parents Do It the Most

Redshirting is reasonably common – 12% in one survey. Parents gave these reasons for holding a child (majority boys) back: “too young,” “not emotionally ready,” and “not academically ready.”  Interestingly, teachers redshirt their school-age children at a higher rate (15%). Also worth noting: children with affluent parents were twice as likely to delay the start of school as those from low-income households.

Eight Grade is a Key Marker

Studies show that being a year older (for boys and girls) positively impacted test scores in the eighth grade, reduced the risk of repeating a grade before high school, and improved the chances of taking the SAT or ACT at the end of high school. The benefits for boys were at least twice as big as for girls on all outcome measures through 8th grade, and by high school, only the boys saw any gains.

Gap Between Black and White – Cruel Irony

Predictably, there is a gap between white and black children using or accessing redshirting. Reeves is quite adamant about this problem (irony) of inequity: “The largest gains would be for those who are least likely to be redshirted now, especially boys from lower-income families and Black boys.

2. Put more men in front of pre-K, primary, and middle school classrooms.

The male share of K-12 teachers is now 24%, down from 33% at the beginning of the 1980s. Male teachers are exceedingly scarce in elementary and middle schools. Early-year education is almost an all-female environment. Only 3% of pre-K and kindergarten teachers are men. There are now twice as many women flying U.S. military planes as there are men teaching kindergarten (as a share of the profession.)  There are barriers to recruiting men for pre-K, including the stigma of leaving a man alone with a child and being wary of physical contact. Also, males (in aggregate) are less naturally inclined than women to prefer teaching pre-secondary children.

Male Teachers Boost Academic Outcomes for Boys

Evidence suggests that male teachers boost boys’ academic outcomes, especially in subjects like English. We especially need more Black men in teaching and men teaching English. Female teachers in classrooms are more likely than male teachers to see boys as disruptive, while male teachers tend to have a more positive view of their capabilities. The benefit to boys from male teachers may also be a role-model effect. Black boys seem to benefit most from having a black teacher.

Male Teachers and the Mating Market

Left out of this discussion by Reeves is that male K-12 teachers do not make enough money to compete successfully in the mating market — a mostly undiscussable fact of female mate preference. These teachers, by natural inclination or perception, are just not attractive (alpha or masculine) enough for high-mate-value women.*

3. Boost funding for male-friendly vocational education and training.

We need a massive investment in male-friendly vocational education and training. We need more CTE (career and technical training) schools.

Boys and Men Need More of a Hands-on Approach

Our educational system is tilted toward the standard academic track, up to and including a 4-year college. There has been a persistent undervaluing of vocational learning, and Reeves says this is harmful in general but especially for boys and men. On average, male students seem to do better with a “hands-on” and practical approach to learning and benefit the most from a vocational path.

High School Curricula and Funding for Community Colleges 

High school curricula need more “hands-on” elements – incorporating more career and technical training, leading to more stand-alone technical schools. Community colleges can offer vocational courses that lead to higher employment and earnings in health, business, and STEM. Reeves recommends that at least 20 billion a year be diverted toward community colleges through a new federal grant program, along with incentives to ensure that students complete their studies, especially in subjects leading to the best job prospects.

More Apprenticeships Are Needed

Beyond high school, there is a strong case for expanding apprenticeships. The National Apprenticeship Act, which passed the House in 2021, would invest 3.5 billion over five years to create nearly a million new apprenticeships. Currently, the U.S. ranks very low among nations for the number of adults taking apprenticeships.

4. Get more men into health, education, administration, and literacy (HEAL) jobs.

(Related to #2 above)

HEAL occupations are essentially the opposite of STEM. They include teachers, librarians, nurses, doctors, dental hygienists, home health aides, medical assistants, social workers, mental health counselors, training and development managers, education and childcare administrators, editors, and court clerks.

Gender Imbalance is Growing in Social Work and Psychology

Men account for the minority of social workers (18%) and psychologists (22%), and the gender imbalance is growing.

My psychology career in training and development within Texas state health services gave dramatic evidence of the preponderance of women in these cultures and the problems for men in hiring and advancement. This “reverse discrimination” phenomenon against men has largely been ignored and is a function of organizational identity politics.

Men in HEAL Occupations vs. Women in STEM – the Good and Bad

Overall, women now account for over 27% of STEM workers, up from 13% in 1980. But the trend is the opposite for male representation in HEAL jobs. In 2019, 26% were held by men, down from 35% in 1980 (for full-time workers between the ages of 24-54). Public policy, such as the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), encourages women into STEM.   But there are no programs to help men into HEAL.

Identity Economics – Good for Women, Not Good for Men

In 2000, Rachel Kranton and George Akerlof created a new scholarly field of “identity economics.”  Kranton and Akerlof found that breaking prescribed gender identity norms comes at a cost to an individual.

They argued that feminism should reduce “identity loss” for women choosing to work traditionally male jobs and for men working pink-collar jobs and in the home. But only the first objective has been confirmed.  As reported in Part 2.2 of this series: “expectations of wives’ homemaking may have eroded, but the husband-as-breadwinner norm persists.” (Alexandra Killewald, American Sociological Review).

Male Nurses are Stigmatized

The proportion of nurses who are men has gone from 10 to 15% in the last twenty years. But men working in nursing report stigmatization and stereotyping on a regular basis. Male nurses are often stereotyped as effeminate or homosexual or simply as failed doctors, according to a study in Canada.

More Bias Against Hiring Men into “Female” Jobs

There is more gender bias among employers against hiring men into predominantly female jobs than the other way around (2019 study by Jill Yavorsky in December Social Forces). HEAL occupations remain highly gendered in popular culture. Another study appearing in the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science found that gender roles in TV advertisements are most unbalanced when it comes to the portrayal of men and women in jobs. Reeves asserts that we have to reduce what Harvard economist (and expert on the pay gap) Claudia Goldin calls the “aura of gender” that especially “attaches” to female-dominated occupations. 

Give Men 2:1 Advantage in Health and Education Jobs

Reeves proposes that among candidates for teaching posts in health and education, a 2:1 preference should be given to male applicants. This is the same preference given to female tenure-track professors in STEM fields, according to a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2015.

5. Increase pay for HEAL jobs.

Increasing pay levels in critical HEAL occupations, like social work, counseling, and teaching, would likely attract more men into these roles and help the women working in them already.

*Anecdotally, it is more likely (as predicted by mate selection science) that a male pre-K teacher is gay and not heterosexual. Gay elementary teachers do not lose as much (if any) mate value in the dating marketplace as do straight-male elementary school teachers.