A reader reminds me that the fundamental reason that boys are lagging behind in schools is probably father absence. Boys with fathers in the home do ok. A recent Esquire magazine piece on the gap between male and female performance in schools ends by exhorting men to act more as mentors to boys, indirectly confirming this thesis. And yet the article does not specifically address fatherlessness. Could this be because single motherhood has become a sacred institution in our society, practically a badge of honor, and mainstream outlets don’t want to criticize it or deplore its effects on children, especially boys?