sure, our country is fucked.......but it has nothing to do with politics

[7960]

Originally Posted by article

Pregnant students in a Denver high school are asking for at least four weeks of maternity leave ........

Two counselors from East High School approached the school board last month, saying the policy at their school is unfair and inconsiderate ........

The Denver Post - Birth leave sought for girls

We're arguing over RP and hillary and caucuses and primaries all that shit, and here we have enough pregnant high school girls that they're organizing to ask for maternity leave. WTF.

To the topic, if a girl wants to take 4 weeks off she should stay out the entire semester and make it up. I'm sure there are *some* who could take a month 1/4 of the semester off and still pass, but overall it makes more sense to have them stay home and bond with their baby. Then come back and start a new semester without having missed a month.

In all the years I taught I had exactly ONE kid miss that much time and come back to pass. IMO the policy should be "stay home" and a student should have to make a special request to come back before the end of semester. If everyone (student, parents, teachers, administrators) agrees then she's back. If not, stay home until next semester.

[bheld]

I think this actually showcases the problem with keeping students on a strict schedule. I don't have any problems with maternity leave, the problem is how it conflicts with an inflexible schedule.

[Ardentfrost]

Let's compare how much teen pregnancy has changed over the past 200 years It'd be funny to see, b/c everyone would be like "holy shit, teen pregnancy 200 years ago was through the roof!"

Anyhow, how do colleges treat pregnancy? You either go or you take the semester off. I guess that's more difficult in HS since they have whole years wrapped into each class, so I guess that goes with the inflexibility bheld spoke of.

I think it'd be a good idea to give them the opportunity to keep up with school even if they have a kid. By forcing them to hold back a year or drop out of school, their situation is unnecessarily made worse.

Allowing them to continue school despite a pregnancy most certainly does NOT promote pregnancy. Just as promoting responsible (safe) sex practices doesn't promote sex, however, disallowing that and instead forcing abstinence teaching does promote irresponsible sex. Seems weird.

[Publius]

With all the advancements in the internet, why not have them do their courses online? Each district could have one teacher that does online course videos and then they can have the teacher of that course at the individual schools field questions from the students.

They already do online summer school courses around here, this would basically be an extension of that.

[7960]

Originally Posted by bheld

I think this actually showcases the problem with keeping students on a strict schedule. I don't have any problems with maternity leave, the problem is how it conflicts with an inflexible schedule.

Inflexible? So she should take a month off and come back and............the teacher should continue on with the other 29 kids and go back a month for that one? I'm not saying expel her, I'm saying have her take the entire semester off and then go back for summer classes to catch back up.

I'd say expecting to leave for a month and come back and be catered to is being inflexible. She's putting special demands on the system, she should bend to fit in it. I'd say staying home for the semester and coming back to start at the beginning* is being flexible.


*of course there are exceptions...if she has the baby with 2 weeks to go in the semester then let her take the final, etc etc. That's why I said the policy should be "stay home" and a student should have to make a special request to come back. Exceptions should be part of any rule.

[7960]

Originally Posted by Publius

With all the advancements in the internet, why not have them do their courses online? Each district could have one teacher that does online course videos and then they can have the teacher of that course at the individual schools field questions from the students.

They already do online summer school courses around here, this would basically be an extension of that.

And when your taxes go up to pay for it? Because you'd need more teachers to teach it, more time to prepare/customize...........it won't just be "she's gone for 30 days so have her log in to the lessons."

[JaJae]

Originally Posted by 7960

Inflexible? So she should take a month off and come back and............the teacher should continue on with the other 29 kids and go back a month for that one? I'm not saying expel her, I'm saying have her take the entire semester off and then go back for summer classes to catch back up.

I'd say expecting to leave for a month and come back and be catered to is being inflexible. She's putting special demands on the system, she should bend to fit in it. I'd say staying home for the semester and coming back to start at the beginning* is being flexible.


*of course there are exceptions...if she has the baby with 2 weeks to go in the semester then let her take the final, etc etc. That's why I said the policy should be "stay home" and a student should have to make a special request to come back. Exceptions should be part of any rule.

I would agree with this. There's always other options as much as people hate to hear it. She could look into enrolling in a non-public school and see if their policies are any different. It's hard to demand such special treatment from government run schools backed by the most powerful union in the country. If they want special individual treatment they shouldn't expect it from a government run institution. That seems almost like an oxymoron. The teacher has a classroom full of other kids they need to attend to.

[Ardentfrost]

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

An elaborate system that was nationwide would cost money, are you advocating a tax hike?

A localized system could handle it

[Publius]

Originally Posted by 7960

And when your taxes go up to pay for it? Because you'd need more teachers to teach it, more time to prepare/customize...........it won't just be "she's gone for 30 days so have her log in to the lessons."

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

An elaborate system that was nationwide would cost money, are you advocating a tax hike?

You guys apparently can't read. This sort of system is already in place, at least here in Texas (where we have ZERO income tax, btw). That said, I'm only offering a solution that would work within the education system already in place. I'm not advocating it. If I had my way, public education would be the educator of last resort.

[7960]

Originally Posted by Publius

You guys apparently can't read. This sort of system is already in place, at least here in Texas .....

So if I'm in school in texas and on Sept 28th need to be out for a month I can log in on Sept 29th and continue on with my classes? There's no ramp-up? The online version is in sync with the classroom version? There's no customization?

I'd love to read about that. Link?

[Scrum]

These teen pregnancy problems would be far less common if we had a modern sex-ed curriculum.

These girls should also be taking advantage of abortion clinics. Problem solved.
Learn from your mistakes, finish school with your class as a kid and not a mommy, and get on with your life.

[7960]

Originally Posted by Scrum

These teen pregnancy problems would be far less common if we had a modern sex-ed curriculum.

These girls should also be taking advantage of abortion clinics. Problem solved.
Learn from your mistakes, finish school with your class as a kid and not a mommy, and get on with your life.

Please let us know when it stops raining gumdrops and the big Skittles® rainbow comes up in the sky in your world.

[Publius]

Originally Posted by 7960

So if I'm in school in texas and on Sept 28th need to be out for a month I can log in on Sept 29th and continue on with my classes? There's no ramp-up? The online version is in sync with the classroom version? There's no customization?

I'd love to read about that. Link?

obviously not that exact, however it would take very little customization to go from a summer course to a in-year course that you can pick up, and have the teacher say "we're at this point in the semester, so start at X point in the online course."

As long as the courses are put together at the district level they would be in sync with the classroom courses, given that (again, at least in Texas) the district schoolboard sets all curriculum standards.

[Scrum]

Originally Posted by 7960

Please let us know when it stops raining gumdrops and the big Skittles® rainbow comes up in the sky in your world.

I know. Wanting something better than these abstinence only programs is a real pipe dream.

[7960]

Originally Posted by Publius

obviously not that exact, however it would take very little customization to go from a summer course to a in-year course that you can pick up, and have the teacher say "we're at this point in the semester, so start at X point in the online course."

and this summer course... this doesn't require a teacher?

[7960]

Originally Posted by Scrum

I know. Wanting something better than these abstinence only programs is a real pipe dream.

christ (no pun intended)...............I'm posting a thread about PREGNANT GIRLS, WHO ARE CURRENTLY PREGNANT TODAY AND PLAN TO BE PREGNANT FOR SOME NUMBER OF MONTHS.

Talking about an abstinence program is a bit unhelpful right now.

[Publius]

Originally Posted by 7960

and this summer course... this doesn't require a teacher?

it does, but did you not read the entirety of my first post?

Each district could have one teacher that does online course videos and then they can have the teacher of that course at the individual schools field questions from the students.

[Scrum]

Originally Posted by 7960

christ (no pun intended)...............I'm posting a thread about PREGNANT GIRLS, WHO ARE CURRENTLY PREGNANT TODAY AND PLAN TO BE PREGNANT FOR SOME NUMBER OF MONTHS.

Talking about an abstinence program is a bit unhelpful right now.

Did they get pregnant from drinking the local water?


So only want to talk about a band-aid instead of a solution?

[7960]

Originally Posted by Publius

it does, but did you not read the entirety of my first post?

Each district could have one teacher that does online course videos and then they can have the teacher of that course at the individual schools field questions from the students.

so there would be one history teacher for all the online history classes?
or one history teacher per online history class?
when is this teacher at the individual school supposed to field these questions?

no matter how you cut it you're either saying one teacher needs to do a lot more work or a few teachers need to do a non-trivial amount of extra work or you need more teachers to do the work.