Why Jimmy Isn't Failing: The Myth of the Boy Crisis

by Cara Okopny


Jimmy is a good student, but he is bored and struggles in English class. He is uninterested in class readings, and his teachers fail to find humor in his rambunctious behavior. Jimmy's parents argue that his needs and the needs of other boys like him are ignored in the U.S. education system. They argue that Jimmy's brain works differently from those of his female classmates, and because his classes have become "feminized," Jimmy is falling behind his female classmates and facing an educational crisis. But Jimmy's problems are not due to any pervasive "boy crisis." Instead, Jimmy's advocates have imagined a crisis, creating a contentious classroom climate for feminist teachers. I contend that this perceived crisis is increasingly leading to a divisive learning environment for teachers and students.