Quotes are taken from a message written by Sheila to Charles on 07/22/96...
SK>We have a large number of girls involved in extra-curricular clubs,
SK>organizations and so forth as well. I'm sure the majority of students in
SK>the ASB program (which involves homeroom represenatitives, class
SK>officers, and appointed commissioners, literally a couple hundred
SK>students) are girls. But who is the _president_?
I didn't mean to distinguish between officers - girls serve as president 
of our student council more often than boys, just as they fill most of 
the other offices more often than boys.
SK>I think we can observe similar phenomenon in our own government. There
SK>are more and more women holding political office these days, and a
SK>number of state governors and senators and congresspersons (? sounds
SK>silly?) are now women. But, it seems to me that even today, although
SK>things are changing, a presidential candidate would have an automatic
SK>disadvantage built in if she were a woman. A significant number of
SK>citizens would be disinclined to vote for a candidate for president who
SK>was a woman.
This whole issue intrigues me as, no matter how much we intellectually 
wish to get rid of sexism, I'm not sure we can do it.  On any number of 
occasions I've caught myself showing favoritism toward the girls in my 
classes - I find them more cooperative and usually more pleasant.  I 
call on them more often (our principal has counted for me ) and often 
find myself talking to one of them after class.
My wife, who teaches 4th grade, tells me that she often catches herself 
favoring the boys in her class.  In particular, her favorites are the 
boys who are generally good kids but who have a little bit of the devil in 
them.
This past spring our building principal retired after 26 years.  In 
addition to having to replace him, we are also hiring a new 
vice-principal, a woman who did her administrative internship in the 
district this year.  Many of us in our school wanted the vice-principal 
from our elementary school (also a woman) to move to our middle school 
to become the principal (she was offered the job but turned it down).  
As you can see, this would have lead to an all female administration.  I 
sensed that more women were concerned about having two women 
administrators than were the men on the faculty, but I have no real 
proof that that is the case.
When it comes to doing a job, I "know"" we should judge the individual, 
but some times we are all affected by the gender of the person, their 
appearance, the way in which they carry themselves, etc.  I'm just not 
sure we can eliminate all of that from our human nature.
Chuck
Chuck Beams
Fidonet - 1:2608/70
cbeams@future.dreamscape.com
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