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Kaelin Ballard
Crist
English IV
November 7, 2014
Schools Impact on Teen Mothers
Everyone has a specific role that they will fulfill in the future; but all roles are different.
Schools have to recognize that being a parent is more important and should be flexible with teen
mothers. Peers and elders have are a big influence in someones life, so that person looks to them
for guidance. It is not only the law, but should be a part of several peoples egos to help one
another to overcome obstacles to reach set goals for a person in need. In this specific area, it is
more of the staff assisting teen mothers to overcome difficult obstacles being faced along with
parenthood in order to achieve their goal, or high school diploma.
From a legal standpoint, If youre pregnant or parenting, your school must allow you to:
Go to school, participate in extracurricular activities, and access the same quality classes as
everyone else (appcnc). To treat teen mothers with respect or equality is not a necessity, but the
requirements stand and are followed. For when the baby is being born, schools are to excuse you
for medical leave. Schools are also required to treat the time you need to take to care for a sick
child as an excused absence (appcnc). If any schools try to deny these requirements, the teen
mother is able to appeal it. Even though teen mothers have support from a legal side, several
people care for them and proceed to give them the attention and guidance they need to succeed.
In todays society, teen pregnancy has become more accepting. Some may frown upon it
still, but people look past the decisions that were made by focusing on the future and making
sure the child will not be raised in poverty. Support ranging from legal sides to peers amongst the

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teen mother helps her build her self-confidence and resistance to discrimination for being a teen
parent which helps them remain emotionally stable. Several groups of people care for the childs
care and not being raised in poverty so they seek child care so the teen mother does not have to
dropout which reduces that risk for the child. They have created support groups along with
school programs to come together and organize child care so the teen mothers can work on
receiving their high school diploma.
Organizations such as AGAPE (Adolescent Girls and Parenting Education) have paired
up with schools and social groups to help teen mothers for their own personal benefit to achieve
their goals with school. These organizations have helped and are continuing to help teen mothers
with school. public schools in St. Paul, are to provide a holistic education for teen mothers,
including personal, emotional, and academic integrity (Social Work Today). Schools and
social workers should not focus on the decisions that were made, but how to overcome the
obstacles faced with those decisions.
Schools have peers and staff that teen mothers are surrounded by and look for guidance
and support from them. Schools need to recognize that being a parent is more important and
should be more flexible with teen mothers. Creating social groups within schools or guidance
counselors suggesting these groups or child care shows the support that the teen mother needs.
Having the sense of support will always be there for those teen mothers because of the legal side
in the school system which requires the equality between students, parents or not. But this
support from her peers and elders, it will alter and reduce the childs chance of being raised in
poverty and that should be the ultimate goal of all social groups.

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