What do you do when a student becomes pregnant?

Illustration: Ted Pitts

A School Nurse's Role
First, I talk with the student about her sexual behavior and if, in fact, the pregnancy is definite. If she is not sure, we discuss confirming it at a clinic. We talk about telling her parents, health concerns, and whether her partner is involved with decisions. I assess her emotional well-being and make re-ferrals for medical care. She can access me and my clinic for rest periods, taking medications, and discussing infant care. I serve as a liaison with her medical care provider and the school staff.

Mary Kathryn Myers
School Nurse, Kent, Washington

No Mistake
The most important thing you can do for a pregnant student is never refer to her baby as a "mistake." Every child is a gift. Maybe the timing is wrong, but don't give her negative feelings about her baby. As the parent of an adopted son, I can share with her how blessed I am that some mother valued her baby enough to give birth.

Mary-Drake Swoope
Seventh- and Eighth-Grade Teacher, Caledonia, Mississippi

Knowledge Relay
A student in my class told me she was going to have an abortion. No one had given her information about her life-changing decision. She did not want to talk to her guidance counselor, so I told the counselor, who gave me information about her choices, which I then gave the student. She refused to have the abortion the next day, but did have it a week later. At least she was educated about her options first.

Natalie Kroope
High school teacher, Northampton, Pennsylvania

Baby Care and Graduation
At our alternative high school, we have pregnancies every year. In the past, the student would drop out if she didn't have anyone to care for the infant, adding yet another person to be supported by the state. Now, we have a wonderful child development program called First Steps for these babies. A teen pregnancy liaison assists with doctor appointments, telling parents, and staying in school. The student's worst nightmare about how her parents will react is usually 10 times worse than the reality. I know one young woman who was in denial. One day, she stayed home from school due to a "stomach ache." When the contractions got stronger, she said, "Dad, I need to go to the hospital." Only then did she tell him. Both parents were supportive, and she has since graduated.

Angie Weatherford
Math and Parenting Teacher, Ventura, California

No Showing Off
I work in a vocational high school and we see three to five pregnancies each year. The girls get preferential treatment, such as being excused from gym and allowed to eat morning snacks in class to combat nausea. Our principal put a stop to baby showers in school. We surveyed area schools about putting the girls on home instruction, but the response was, we can't treat pregnancy differently from other afflictions! One girl in my algebra class announced her pregnancy and within two months, two more students had become pregnant! Coincidence or misplaced envy? Our principal doesn't allow girls to bring their babies to school to show them off, which may stop that misplaced envy of "I want one too."

I would like to see schools given the leeway to remove these girls from mainstream classes once they show, instead of giving them more attention and kid-glove treatment than they deserve. Also, after the birth, they are allowed to have instruction at home for an indefinite time. That's more than I was given when my husband and I had our first child!

Meg Fischer
High School Math Teacher, Bridgewater, New Jersey

It Takes A School
I am a high school emotional and/or behavioral disability teacher. This fall, the mother of a former student told me her daughter was pregnant. We met with the guidance counselor and special education staff. All of her regular education teachers were also informed and have been very supportive. The school nurse has set up a support system with county agencies and makes weekly contact with her. The student will receive counseling on adoption possibilities. It takes a village to raise a child. It takes a school to help a pregnant student.

Bonnie Barker
Park Falls, Wisconsin