by Jessica Hille
Article IX of the Washington
State constitution makes the state responsible for providing education to
youth in the state. But for teens who must balance pregnancy or
child care with school, this promise of public education for all students may go unfulfilled. Students
who become pregnant still face a number of
obstacles particular to their situation as student-parents. These include
balancing school and parenting time, limited access to health and child care,
stigma, bullying, and discrimination.
When their schools are unable or unwilling to support them
and their needs as pregnant or parenting teens, some students turn to
alternative schools like South
Lake High School in South Seattle. The school offers several programs for
non-traditional high school students, including the Graduation Reality and
Dual-Role Skills (GRADS), an in-school secondary program for pregnant and
parenting teens to learn child care skills while finishing high school. The GRADS
curriculum includes information on topics like economic independence,
interpersonal relationships, and healthy families. Some traditional high
schools in and around Seattle also offer GRADS courses, encouraging
pregnant and parenting students to stay in school. South Lake High School also
offers a free daycare center where babies and young children can stay while
their parents are in class. Mothers can learn hands-on parenting skills and
even be excused from class to breastfeed. Not all schools have a GRADS program,
however, and the SLHS program is relatively small: the whole school’s capacity
is 200.
Though programs like GRADS can be beneficial, schools cannot
force students into alternate
programs or schools. If students do choose to take this route, the schooling
they receive must be at least as good as traditional courses offered by the
high school. According to a 2012
report from the National Women’s Law Center
(NWLC), many states do not have clear or comprehensive policies that protect
teen parents and encourage them to finish high school. The report ranks
Washington 16th in the country terms of state policies that protect
the rights of pregnant and parenting students.
The Pregnant
and Parenting Students Access to Education Act was introduced in 2011 to
protect students’ rights, but the bill has yet to make any progress in
Congress. To encourage support and raise awareness among your elected
representatives, you can send
them a copy of the NWLC report.
The bottom line: Pregnant
and parenting students have the right to stay in school, participate in
activities, and do make up work for missed classes. Discriminating against them
is sex discrimination, which is illegal – not to mention wrong and shortsighted.
All students have a right to a good
education, regardless of their family situation. All students deserve the
opportunity to succeed and the support they need. Helping pregnant teens and
young parents stay in school gives them a better chance to go to college, start
a career, and be good role models for their children. Depriving them of these
opportunities serves no one – not the student, their children, or their
community. Schools and legislators must develop better policies to more
thoroughly protect students’ rights and help them become healthy, happy,
educated adults.
Jessica Hille is a legal intern at Legal Voice. She has
a law degree from Washington University in St. Louis and will receive a Masters in Law in Health
Law and Policy from University of Washington this spring.
To learn more about South Lake High School, including
volunteer opportunities, visit their
website. More information about GRADS is available through the Office of
Superintendent of Public Instruction.
photo credit here
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