Is there a boys education crisis? Recently, girls have been outperforming boys in school.

With girls outperforming boys these days in high school and college, educators have been sparring over whether there is a crisis in the education of boys. Some suggest the need for more single-sex schools, more male role models or new teaching techniques. Others are experimenting with physical changes in classrooms that encourage boys to move around, rather than trying to anchor them to their seats. But as they debate, high-priced tutors and college counselors have jumped into the fray by charging as much as $100 an hour and up to bring boys to heel.

A big part of this is boys lack of organization and lesser ability to multitask. Now that I read this, I can see a difference between my 11 year old son and my 9 year old daughter. This is one thing i will keep an eye on as my tween is getting bigger!

Setbacks in children’s health insurance. 2007 began with a lot of hope. Democrats proposed, and many Republicans supported, a big increase in the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The idea is to provide health insurance to all children with a family income up to double the poverty level (and for some states even higher). What is the holdup? Government bickering. There are concerns that middle-income families will give up their private insurance for this public one. After a year of to-ing and fro-ing, an extension was agreed in the House last week that in effect makes each state responsible for seeking out and covering lower income families before middle income ones can benefit

The directive said that before states cover higher-income children, they must meet the following threshold: At least 95% of children eligible for Medicaid and SCHIP with incomes less than twice the poverty level must be enrolled in those programs.

Many states say meeting that threshold is nearly impossible. But that’s not all the directive said. Even if states meet that threshold, the middle-income children will have to go without private coverage for a full year before they can enroll in SCHIP, and their families will have to pay premiums or co-payments that are 5% of their income.

I am trying to remain a neutral NewsSquawker here, so I will just say that it would be an amazing day if/when all Americans have health insurance. Currently, there are 9.5 million uninsured American children.

Yay California! As of January 1, a new law was passed that makes it illegal to smoke in a cars with minor children present. There is a $100 fine if caught. California joins Arkansas and Louisiana who have already passed a similar law. Only 47 more states to go!