Education Noir

This blog is in response to the article, “Texas ranked No. 1 in teen birth rate.”
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4996256.html

Abstinence is not a one-size-fits-all solution to teen pregnancy.  Parents have the most influence on a child’s education regarding sex.  Sure.  But coming from the Midwest where both methods are taught, (abstinence is taught as a preventative measure, not “you’re a sinner and you’re going to hell,” like it is taught in most Texas schools) it is not a surprise that teen pregnancy rates are high.  Given from some of the comments, I am assuming that most people don’t know much about the 1995 law.  The law forces schools to make a critical choice:  funding or no funding.

Schools who DO NOT teach abstinence receive no funding for their Health Science departments from the state.  That means no money for books, mannequins for CPR, no drug and alcohol training kits, nothing.   Most schools that serve low-income populations are dying (I mean dying) for cash.  The choice is quite simple despite its ramifications.

Finally, it is an AMERICAN problem, not just minorities and illegal citizens. Kids in Katy, Sugar Land, and The Woodlands are just as sexually active as kids in other communities.  Regardless if their actions result in pregnancy or not they still run the risk of physical and psychological problems down the road. 

I would be cautious on making generalizations and assumptions too.

This is the beginning of my blog.  While it will concentrate on education, social justice education, and American history, you will also find opinions, movie reviews, book reviews and social commentary dealing with the darker (and other marginal) members of this nation.

Wheatley