Bishop Kearney’s new president a big believer in single sex education
Dr. Margaret Minson says it gives girls a chance to be leaders
Dr. Margaret Minson, the new president of Bishop Kearney High School, said the all-girls Catholic school in Bensonhurst is part of an important educational movement in the US, one that has positive and lasting effects on students. “Single sex education in this day and age is invaluable,” she told the Brooklyn Eagle in a phone interview.
The lack of boys in Bishop Kearney’s classrooms empowers the female students to be more outspoken and to express their ideas more freely, according to Minson, who arrived at the school on May 5. “It gives the girls a chance to have leadership roles,” she said.
Some studies have shown that in a mixed sex classroom, teachers tend to focus their attention on boys. Single sex schools level the playing field, according to advocates.
As president, Minson is the highest ranking person at Bishop Kearney. She is the immediate supervisor of Sister Thomasine Stagnitta, the school’s principal. Minson answers to the school’s board of trustees, who, she believes, hired her to bring out Bishop Kearney’s strengths.