News

Stephen Flemming is one teacher in one classroom, but he may be doing as much to keep his low-income black students in school – black males in particular – as any formal program targeted toward "at-risk" students.

Flemming teaches English language arts to 5th graders at John B. Kelly Elementary School in Germantown. All but three of his students, spread over three homerooms, are African American.

JUDY WOODRUFF: A question that has been raised here: Why aren’t more men going into fields dominated by women?

Stigma is a big part of the answer, our economics correspondent, Paul Solman, reported last week.

Tonight, he focuses on one man many might want to emulate.

It’s part of our weekly series Making Sense.

The shortage of childcare workers is a pressing social problem in big cities in Japan. There are about two and half million children who go to daycare centers, but at least 23,000 children across the nation cannot go. Because of the hard working conditions and low wages, there aren't enough people who are willing to work as caregivers.

Now, local governments are counting on more men to come on board. The number of men who are choosing to become childcare providers is increasing.