plastic chairs stand at the desks. The 10 students — all girls, all African American — sit silently at their desks while Pointer calls their math groups one by one. “Strawberry Shortcake House,” she
says, as four girls stand quietly, push their chairs in and walk to the carpet, where they sit in tidy rows at her feet. “Unicorn House. SpongeBob House …” When all the girls are seated, Pointer,
31, who has taught for nine years, gives three of them plastic baggies with their supplies: small white boards, construc- tion paper and markers. The leaders distribute the materials and return to their spots on the floor, crossing their legs with military precision. The girls carefully arrange scraps of construction paper on one corner of their slates, sock erasers on their laps and markers in their hands. They are ready for the game. “Six plus unknown partner equals
15?” Pointer asks. The girls scribble furiously on their
boards. A student named MaKayla rais- es her hand. “Nine!” she says softly when the
teacher calls on her. “What?” Pointer asks. “Use your big
girl voice, please.” “Six plus nine equals 15,” MaKayla
responds firmly. “Yes,” Pointer says. “Let’s give her a
round of applause.” The girls clap. “You go, girl! You go, girl!” one
She quizzes them for 15 minutes on
their addition facts and divides them into their math groups: Persevering Penguins, Ferocious Foxes, Eager Ea- gles. The Penguins test each other with addition flashcards. The Foxes play math games on three computer ter- minals in the corner. The Eagles sit on the floor and have a math lesson with Ahmad. When it is time for the groups to trade places, Ahmad asks, “All set?” “You bet!” the boys shout, swapping
places in a raucous bustle. Upstairs in Room 202, Ginene Point-
er’s first-graders also are doing math. One windowless wall is painted a cheerful or- ange, the carpet is bright red, and yellow
We try to make the atmosphere
in the classroom for girls more relaxing.”
“ T chants. Another simply stares adoringly up at
Pointer. “I love you more than the whole universe,” she says, out of the blue. Pointer smiles. “Love to love you,
honey,” she replies. “Can anyone tell me the answer to this: Eight plus unknown partner equals 17?”
he boys and girls at Imag- ine Southeast Public Charter School are part of a national experiment in public schools: single-sex
education. While a debate rages about the potential merits and dangers of sep- arating students during the school day based on gender, two-year-old Imagine is one of at least four publicly funded schools in the District, a smattering of public schools in Maryland and Vir-
august 8, 2010 | The WashingTon PosT Magazine 13
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