CLASS ACT: READING, WRITING AND ROLE MODELS; MEN MISSING IN ACTION IN CLASSROOMS

Where the boys, or rather, the men, are is a good question, because where they aren't is serving in the school systems as teachers.

School officials believe there are a number of reasons men are missing, and they also say there may be negative effects on children looking for role models.

"These kids are going to find a male role model somewhere," said Clippard school principal Stan Seiler. "It's definitely better if we can provide that role model."

The Cape Girardeau School District falls nearly 10 percent below the national average for the number of male teachers in a district, and the Jackson School District falls nearly 6 percent below the national average. The numbers look even worse when the number of male elementary school teachers are compared.

Dr. Joe Huskey, the advising coordinator for the College of Education at Southeast Missouri State University, is a former public school elementary teacher. He conducted a dissertation study on the reasons behind the decline of male teachers from 1990 until 1993, and said the reasons men are avoiding the teaching profession are probably not what people think.

"The decline is because we are just afraid we will be sued by an unhappy parent, we will be labeled as gay, labelled as a molester, or ridiculed for not having a real man's job," he said. "A lot of people think salaries are the reason men are not going into teaching, but that wasn't what I found."

Huskey said he is an example of a teacher who was at one time very uncomfortable in his profession. "During the early '70s when I started teaching, it wasn't unusual to take children on trips," he said. "I had a lot of interaction with every student in the beginning. By the time I left in '88, I had dwindled down to almost nothing because I felt it just wasn't safe."

Small towns and rural areas in particular hold negative feelings about male teachers, said Huskey. "In small towns especially, there seems to be more suspicion against male teachers," he said. "I found that many people even perceive male teachers to be less attractive because of their profession."

David Giles, principal at Alma Schrader elementary school, agreed. "You are more at risk as a male in elementary school," said Giles. "Kids are gregarious. They're on you and they expect some warmth in return. You have to be careful with that."

With the number of single-mother households steadily rising, the weakening numbers of positive male role models in local classrooms could affect children negatively.

"When I was a teacher, kids were so receptive to me because I was a rarity," said Seiler, who was one of only two males in a class of 800 students graduating with a degree in elementary education. "Elementary students are at such an impressionable age, and it is my experience it helps these kids just to see a male in their lives in an important role."

Cape Junior High principal Gerald Richards said he has seen instances when having male teachers helped stop behavioral problems in male students.

"There is value in having men and women in the school setting," he said, "but it helps to provide positive role models for students who may not have a male in their home, especially at the junior high level. At our age level, we often observe that there will be students who don't behave well for female teachers who behave well for male teachers. If we notice this, we work to place them with as many men as possible."

Richards said he sees around a dozen cases like that each year.

May Greene Elementary principal Dr. Barbara Kohlfield said she hopes to see a change in how male teachers are perceived in the future. "It used to not be macho for the dad to change the diaper," she said. "Now we see men in all types of nurturing roles. That's a wonderfully bonding thing that a lot of men cheated themselves out of. Maybe in time that will also impact the classroom."

Huskey said it is possible that more men will opt to teach in the future. "More males are already expressing an interest in teaching, which is definitely positive," he said. "Especially black males, who are almost nonexistent at all levels of teaching."

MEN VS. WOMEN

Cape Girardeau and Jackson school officials agree that a mix of men and women teachers is best for students, but hiring male teachers has become a challenge in recent years.

Cape Girardeau Districtwide teaching staff:18.6% male ..... 81.4% femaleElementary teaching staff:2.5% male ..... 97.5% femaleSecondary teaching staff:32.4% male ..... 78.6% femaleElementary SchoolsTeachers: 159 total -- 4 men, 155 women.Administrators: 4 male principals, 1 male assistant principal, 2 female principals.Building breakdownAlma Schrader: 1 male teacher, 32 female teachers, 1 male principal, 1 male assistant principal.Clippard: 1 male teacher, 30 female teachers, 1 male principal.Franklin: 2 male teachers/22 female teachers, 1 male principal.Jefferson: 0 male teachers, 25 female teachers, 1 male principal.May Greene: 0 male teachers, 21 female teachers, 1 female principal.Washington: 0 male teachers, 25 female teachers, 1 female principal.Secondary SchoolsTeachers: 185 total, 60 men, 125 women.Administrators: 3 male principals, 1 male director, 3 male assistant principals.Building breakdownSchultz: 8 male teachers, 24 female teachers, one male principal.Jr. High: 21 male teachers, 31 female teachers, one male principal, one male assistant principal.Senior High: 17 male teachers, 50 female teachers, 1 male principal, 2 male assistant principals.Vo-Tech: 14 male teachers, 20 female teachers, 1 male director.Central office administration4 men and 1 woman: includes superintendent, associate superintendent, assistant superintendents, business manager and director of special services.JacksonDistrictwide teaching staff:21.9% male ..... 78.1% femaleElementary teaching staff:6.9% male ..... 93.1% femaleSecondary teaching staff:32.9% male ..... 67.1% femaleElementary schoolsTeachers: 102 total - 7 men, 95 womenAdministrators: 3 men, 2 women.Building breakdownOrchard Drive: 2 male teachers, 40 female teachers, 1 male principal, 1 male assistant principal.North Elementary: 0 male teachers, 6 female teachers, 1 male principal.Primary Annex: 1 male teacher, 14 female teachers, 1 female principal.* Gordonville: 0 male teachers, 3 female teachers.West Lane: 4 male teachers, 28 female teachers, 1 female principal.* Millersville: 0 male teachers, 4 female teachers. (* = Schools have head teachers, no principals.)Secondary schoolsTeachers: 140 total -- 46 men, 94 women.Administrators: 7 men, 0 women.Building breakdownMiddle School: 19 male teachers, 39 female teachers, 1 male principal, 2 male assistant principals.Jr. High: 18 male teachers, 22 female teachers, 1 male principal, 1 male assistant principal.High School: 9 male teachers, 33 female teachers, 1 male principal, 1 male assistant principal.Central office administration4 men and 0 women: includes superintendent, assistant superintendents and director of special services.