In late April of this year, an article titled "Special Schools for Pregnant Girls?" discussed an alternative school in Boise, Idaho, the Marian Pritchett School. The article discusses, among other things, the apparent trade-off between stronger academics at regular schools, and the possibly weaker academics but bonus special programs of alternative schools, such as classes about business, parenting skills, and family law, and the special accommodations that alternative schools offer pregnant and parenting girls. These special schools often help pregnant girls get a GED (or possibly a diploma) instead of dropping out of school due to pregnancy.
If remaining in her current school, does your daughter have concerns about her safety there? Does she worry, like Alicia Mattocks in the above article, "that bullies might purposely slam her into a locker and that a teacher's rules wouldn't allow frequent bathroom runs"? Talk to her school's administrators and find out what concessions are available for pregnant girls, or those who are parenting. Are there excused absences available so that she can attend her many prenatal care appointments? Will the school allow her to breastfeed her baby at school after birth? or must she pump the milk and store it for later? If she must pump, is there a refrigerator available for milk storage? Brainstorm with your daughter the pros and cons to each of the education options she has available to her. Make a concrete plan of how she will finish her high school education at a minimum.
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