DPS like any other school system have students that are teenage mothers. Raging hormones know no geographic or economic boundaries.In many cases these moms are single parents. These young women are in a position where they are forced to grow up quickly.

While a school district can provide a variety of surport systems for these students, the bottom line is that the student will only graduate from high school if they complete their course work. For some students it may be a GED program later in life.

There are school districts that have programs that provide daycare within the school while the mother is attending classes,the new mother receives instruction in nutrition and other parenting skills, and she and her child can receive assistance for health care.

All the schools can do is offer help, the student will determine if they graduate or not based on their actions.

I don’t see how this is politically divisive? It sounds as though if a person missing school for whatever reason, as long as it is excused, they will be given an opportunity to catch up. Obviously if somebody misses 4 months, then that may make it impossible to do so.

What COULD be “divisive” is if you propose mandating that it is the teachers responsibility to reach into the students home (outside of the classroom) and create a special type of accomodation, more so than just sending home class assignments.
What type of workload is proposed for the teacher? What if a teacher has 5 or more students out of the class at the same time? It should be the parents (or the pregnant, ill or otherwise student’s) responsibility to pick up any class assigments (or have them mailed) that can be done at home. If the absence is too long, and the student cannot manage to keep up, unfortunately the child must be held back until they can complete the work. It just makes sense…

I know this issue first hand. I missed 2 months of school in the 5th grade due to a major surgery. I was nearly held back.

Also, what does “respect family or medical professional” wishes while insuring that students who must miss school continue to make academic progress mean? What are family wishes? Religion or I am keeping my son out of school because we are travelling to Holland for two months? How can they make academic progress IF they are not there, either mentally or physically?

What would be even better for students who desired it would be an on-line high school, where they do their work AT HOME (not in a school). The year’s work is preassigned and they get their supplies at the beginning of the school year. This gives them flex hours which would work out well with illness,baby care, jobs, etc. This works out well for teens especially. Anyone who has tried to roust a sleepy teen at 6 A.M. for school can testify this is the time they sleep! Being able to do their work later is very beneficial to good grades.
They also learn good work/study/self-starting habits that carry them over into college.
DPS seems to be so reticent to try something different, but they would have far fewer dropouts if they offered an on line ed program.

So far as the teen pregnancies,the teens need to have birth control devices and info available thru the school nurse and sex ed classes. Telling them “abstinence” just doesn’t cut it in this day and age. Parents
either don’t talk to them, or won’t because of religious reasons. I think in some cultures it’s almost a badge of maturity for a 15 yr. old girl to have a baby. What they are essentially doing is dooming themselves (and their baby) to a life of dire poverty.