Wednesday, October 24, 2007

I Care About This

This encouraged me today: http://www.wacotrib.com/news/content/news/stories/2007/10/24/10242007wacpregnantteens.html

Most of you who read this are in Waco so you probably saw this article today, but for those who didn't or who don't want to read the whole thing now, it's an article in the Waco Tribune Herald about how a group of University High School students are speaking out against teen pregnancy and trying to educate their peers.

I spent a year working in a high school with a similar student-body make-up to University, both socio-economically and in racial and ethnic diversity. I noticed similar attitudes toward teen sex and pregnancy as discussed in this article. At the time I felt absolutely hopeless for those students. When there is at least one pregnant girl or daddy in each class you teach, I think it's easy to be discouraged.

That's why I feel so encouraged by this article today. I applaud the Waco ISD school board for promoting an abstinence-based, but not abstinence-only, sex-ed curriculum. They are ahead of the schools here in South Carolina who refuse to take a common-sense approach to sex-ed, clinging to the false ideal of abstinence-only education. I salute the students who are behind this movement, and I hope and pray that they are able to make a real difference for their peers.

As a side-note, I got my hair cut yesterday...Picture to come.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Linds-

This is Rachel Perez. I like your entry. I thought I was the only one in all of Waco who thought that abstinence-only wasn't practical in the reality of today's culture/youth culture. Kids need to be educated about this! Yes, abstience is the ONLY fail safe method and should be taught as such, but kids should also learn how to be safe about an activity that many are already participating in.

Hope you are well in South Carolina. If you are ever in NYC.. let me know!

Anonymous said...

I agree Linds. Been trying to say so for years. I will tell Debbie Luce of your compliment to WISD.