Is the Mayor right to lay partial blame for the teen pregnancies on the No Child Left Behind Law?

Wow - I can't believe we even have to ask this question. Why have we not once heard any blame placed on parents?? Lots of finger pointing and now it's the fault of the no-child-left behind?? Please, people, pull your heads out of the sand. Faulty parenting and/or lack of parenting is to blame. Can anyone in America take any responsibility anymore? And for a Mayor or anyone else to think that handing out condoms would have stopped this problem - WOW, I'm without words.

Wow - I can't believe we even have to ask this question. Why have we not once heard any blame placed on parents?? Lots of finger pointing and now it's the fault of the no-child-left behind?? Please, people, pull your heads out of the sand. Faulty parenting and/or lack of parenting is to blame. Can anyone in America take any responsibility anymore? And for a Mayor or anyone else to think that handing out condoms would have stopped this problem - WOW, I'm without words.

I just heard your guest mention something about the town doing something to prevent this from happening in the future...ummm what about the parents?? Why are parents not held responsible or asked how this happened? I have a fifteen year old daughter and I can tell you right now there isn't a time that I don't know where she is or what she's doing, its a lot of work but that's my job as her mother!! Parents need to stop allowing schools, laws and police to raise their children and do the job themselves.

Of course NCLB has something to do with this- any every other problem currently facing our schools. I am in Michigan and we have a huge problem with shrinking tax dollars and ANY mandated program only ties up the money and it is often on programs that have no proven benefit or worse, creates more problems for students, parents and teachers. If there was local control of the money and the local admin had the ability to determine where the money should be spent- NOT WASHINGTON!!- then perhaps they would have been able to create a program that would have helped these girls who feel they need to have a baby just to feel loved. We have REALLY big problems in our schools and with our youth in general and if we think that NCLB is going to do anything but make things worse- then we are all going to regret it when the facts unfold down the road.

I believe the spending we do to try to just pass everyone instead of challenging them erodes the foundations of education and social knowledge. If you just gave a child an a for participation instead of one for what they studied and tried to acheive, would you be building their education or producing citizens that are uneducated. Because you felt like the child that would rather hang with friends instead of do homework needed one "A", could you see where when we drop education and programs in other areas to hand out "A"s might take effect? Are we trading handing out "A"s with the no child left behind program, for Education of productive citizens.

I believe the spending we do to try to just pass everyone instead of challenging them erodes the foundations of education and social knowledge. If you just gave a child an a for participation instead of one for what they studied and tried to acheive, would you be building their education or producing citizens that are uneducated. Because you felt like the child that would rather hang with friends instead of do homework needed one "A", could you see where when we drop education and programs in other areas to hand out "A"s might take effect? Are we trading handing out "A"s with the no child left behind program, for Education of productive citizens?

I believe the spending we do to try to just pass everyone instead of challenging them erodes the foundations of education and social knowledge. If you just gave a child an a for participation instead of one for what they studied and tried to acheive, would you be building their education or producing citizens that are uneducated. Because you felt like the child that would rather hang with friends instead of do homework needed one "A", could you see where when we drop education and programs in other areas to hand out "A"s might take effect? Are we trading handing out "A"s with the no child left behind program, for Education of productive citizens?

Bush did it, of course!

Through my education, my husbands, my 4 children and now my 5 grandchildren, I always thought school "was" for an education. To bad we can no longer teach values, ethics, and self responsibility along with math and english. No, now its the schools responsibility to teach about all the available methods for birth control. Including abortion. My, where did my world go?

A general lack of societal value for the family are raising their ugly red flags. How long will it take for anyone to notice? How many children across the United States are currently being raised by a Grandparent or relative due to lack of parental responsibility. I believe if you check the numbers across the county, you will see the problem is out of control. The red flags have been shooting fire works, but for whatever reason have not been respected by our legislators. All students in public schools should take a PARENTING CLASS as a required course for high school graduation. These skills not only enhance their personal ability to become functional healthy parents, but to work and mentor with others in positive ways.

Please! I am sure people want to blame everyone accept the "ladies" that decided that getting pregnant was going to be soooo cool! If you haven't figured out what causes pregnancy at high school age, than throwing more money at the school is not going educate these girls. A girl in high school knows very well what they are doing and that it is wrong; that's why they did it. Great story to tell your child, "Oh by the way I got pregnant with you in high school becuase the girls and I made a pact to get pregnant together." These girls have no clue what they have to look forward to, raising a child on their own. Or do they think that that is their parents job?

Are you kidding! Because we require students to be able to read, write and do math to get a diploma, this increases teen pregnancy? I fail to see the correlation. Aren't you suppose to be teaching them to read, write and do math anyway? Where are the parents? Where are the curfews? Where are the questions about where you are going, who are you going with and the good old parental "only over my dead body" if the kid gives the wrong answer! Let's blame the parents and not President Bush for this one.

The entire community of Glouschester has let these kids down. The problems begin with a serious lack of parenting to a school system that is either unwilling or unable to teach. Then as another teaching point blames the no child left behind act when their failures come to light. Shame on them.

Did I hear the student say the school has a daycare for the children of the children? Other than the lack of parenting, how about the fact that there is no longer any shame in society? I'm sorry, but there IS something wrong with children having children, and no one standing up and saying it's wrong. This really can't be a school - I have trouble anyone there is actually being taught anything. No real direction, no leadership, no morality, and no education. And the principal wants to blame the only educational requirement at the school for problem! I'm flabbergasted. The crazies are running the asylum.

I agree with sheri. parents start being parents and responsible and teach your children Godly principles. stop depending on the government and the schools to do what is a mom and dad's responsibility. when will parents and each individual take responsibilty for their own actions .

For those 7 people that selected yes as a response.....how in the world did you connect the dots. Funding of reading and writing does not stop parents from communicating to their child the safety, and the rationality of waiting until one is ready to handle all the responsibilities of becoming a parent before they have sex. For goodness sake, its obviously accepted by the families. What really is disheartening is that these children will be raised yet again by disfunctional families and the tax payers of the state will have to pick up the tab for years to come.

For those 7 people that selected yes as a response.....how in the world did you connect the dots. Funding of reading and writing does not stop parents from communicating to their child the safety, and the rationality of waiting until one is ready to handle all the responsibilities of becoming a parent before they have sex. For goodness sake, its obviously accepted by the families. What really is disheartening is that these children will be raised yet again by disfunctional families and the tax payers of the state will have to pick up the tab for years to come.

I wonder why the mayor did not put the parents on his blame lists.

It is time that we wise up to the fact that it is the responsibility of the parents to set limits and to educate children about sex NOT Government, not the school. Why is any one surprised when something like this happens when young people are encouraged by society through most media outlets to be sexually active younger and younger.

Oh my goodness!! Blame NCLB? Blame the girls who did this along with parents that apparently do not know what under 16 year old girls are doing. Where is the shame? Society accepts too much immoral behavior nowadays, and acts as if everything will be alright if we just accept that our children are making these terrible mistakes. Morals are in the gutter, so NCLB has nothing to do with our lack of morals.

After teaching middle school for over 30 years, I can say the mayor is absolutely wrong to blame NCLB! I've sat in PTA meetings many times where the faculty outnumbered the parents. We've had open houses and parent conferences where almost no parents showed up. The faculty even tried going to the housing developments for meetings with parents to no avail. They wouldn't even walk to the commons area to meet with their child's teachers. All this is to say parents are responsible for being parents to their children. The school can't be all things to all. Trying to take on parenting roles instead of concentrating on academics might explain why SAT scores are so much lower today than they were when many of us graduated. The kids themselves and their families are responsible for their irresponsible actions.

When did being pregnant and having a chlid out of wedlock become "cool"?? When I was in school there was one girl who was pregnant and it was a scandal. As for the school system being to blame, that is a crock. Teachers have enough to do trying to teach basic academics, they should not be responsible for moral values, manners, and psychiatric problems of the kids--this is the parents responsibility, for heavens sake! Also, I guess the taxpayers are paying through the nose for healthcare and other welfare for these babies and their babies. What a mess.

It says a lot about the mayor that she would suggest a lack of funding was to blame for teen pregnancies in her town. It is a lack of parenting, plain and simple. Leadership in the community at large could have made a difference (church, school, etc) but it is not the communities responsibility and certainly not the federal government's responsibility. America's founding fathers wouldn't recognize the republic they established if they saw it now. Listening to the mayor made me nauseous--she obviously doesn't believe in personal responsibility. She seems to think government is the answer to all of life's problems.

First of all, the parents of the girls are totally responsible morally and financially for these girls' behavior, their pregnancies, babies, and they, themselves, should be required to complete parenting education. They brought these girls into the world, the world does not owe them a living, a baby-sitter, or financial support. From what's on the news, the mayor can't get a straight answer from the principal. Fire them both.

Omg are they serious?? They should take full blame at the school..no contraceptives? Where were the parents with the sex education? And how can they blame the law when it was the teenagers decision to have sex in the first place, without protection? That law is in place to PROTECT children, not harm them! The blame isn't laying where it ought to: The parents, the school, the teens and the men who were over age to begin with. How can the school not know something was wrong when these teens came in requesting 150 pregnancy tests? They were too many mistakes made here for someone not to place the blame on the right people. The law is not a scapegoat for faulty parenting and lousy education. How can you prevent teen pregnancy when you have a policy against contraceptives? They opened up the door and need someone to blame. Maybe they should look in the mirror. They encourage this with day-care centers on campus for these girls. I think this trend at this high school has just begun....and that's the scaries part yet.

All over tv, internet, on streets, in stores, in magazines, in churches; basically everywhere our children go, they see adult women trying to look hot and sexy and men admiring them along with other reactions. This is what is cooool and desired in our SOCIETY! All this sex eventually leads to pregnancy. I say it is a society problem. When we insist on EVERYONE and ANYTHING having freedom of expression we can expect no less. These are children after all. What about the adults?

Check the statistics for the success of Charter Schools...where the rules for running the schools are set by the local school board and faculty. Such schools are doing a fine job of teaching academics ------and values. The government and union run schools are a disaster in much of our nation. A recently retired principal says the answer to most school problems is...simple, a disciplined environment. Our schools are run by adminstrators and teachers who are intimidated by the threat of lawyers and lawsuits. That is a large part of the reason that our schools have so many of these formerly unheard of problems. Too bad the principal is caught in the vice of politics and can no longer tell us the truth.

Check the statistics for the success of Charter Schools...where the rules for running the schools are set by the local school board and faculty. Such schools are doing a fine job of teaching academics ------and values. The government and union run schools are a disaster in much of our nation. A recently retired principal says the answer to most school problems is...simple, a disciplined environment. Our schools are run by adminstrators and teachers who are intimidated by the threat of lawyers and lawsuits. That is a large part of the reason that our schools have so many of these formerly unheard of problems. Too bad the principal is caught in the vice of politics and can no longer tell us the truth.

Take the day care and preschool out of the high school. It's glorifying the situation.

It's ridiculous to try to blame bad behavior on the government or the perceived mismanagement of a government program. What are the parents doing? Sounds like they don't have a clue what their kids are up to. When I was in high school my parents knew who, what, when and where I was at all times, and I had a healthy respect for my parents and teachers and their rules, something lacking in schools these days.

Obviously the mayor is a Liberal. Teaching children morals and values are the parents' right and responsibility. But the liberals and ACLU have robbed parents of thier parental rights. I'm not a Bush fan, but blaming him for everything is the liberal plan. Maybe the mayor doen't look at music vidoes and listen to the music young people listen to.

this principal knows everything

this principal knows everything

this principal knows everything

The lady is talking out of her butt. She is a FREAKIN IDOIT

Yeah...let's blame "No child left behind". Our district recently notified parents in writing that 300+ students in the district has STDs and and the district has 36 pregnancies, here in PA. Looks like there is too much sexual stimulation and not enough intellectual stimulation. Yeah, let's get rid of that pesky thing that makes accountability go away.

Congratulations! You get what you pay for, the Mayor wants to blame NCLB, and states that the school Principal "can't remember a thing". I'm sure he could probably shed some light to this situation, at the cost of his career. The Mayor doesn't even mention the parents responsibility in the matter. Its always best to let the government and schools to raise your kids. I hope you are really proud of your community, and those you voted to lead you. There is no wonder why you have 17 young girls pregnant, no one wants to stand up and take responsibility. The sad part of this is that these girls are most likely unprepared to raise children at such a young age, and what is even worse, is that thier parents are obviously not prepared either (judging by thier daughters poor choices). I guess you'll just have to rely on those of your elected community to pull you along to do the right thing. Regrettably, the young lives brought into this world, that are the result of this ignorant situation you have caused, are most likely doomed to repeat this cycle again due to your lack of common sense. Good job!

SARA you are crazy than the major

Oh my goodness, what is happening to our parents in this country? All of them seem to have become enablers. They all should be held responsible for this disasterous scheme among their daughters, after all, don't they realize that SOMEONE will have to raise their grandchildren and it will probably be them. It sure as hell won't be the 'sick-minded' mayor. It doesn't take a village to raise a child; it takes TWO DEVOTED, CARING AND LOVING PARENTS!! This is really sickening.

What a far gone issue! What amazes me is the fact that society wants to find blame with our faults. It's the system, it's the programs [to many-not enough], wait it's in my genes, i was made that way. The reality is [always wanted to say that] bleeding hearts accept any excuse to not hold people accountable as in the case of these girls that got pregnant. First, their is an age of accountability where one knows right from wrong, period! There is so much awareness about the consequences of girls getting pregnant that it is unbelievable to think that they did not know what the consequences would lead up to. My heart does not go out to them. Second, [you may not like this] but the school has invited the thought into these kids heads by the failure of the ridiculous school programs. The programs for pregnant teens. They should be removed from the school and forced to finish school at home while taking care of their baby. The school has communicated to these teens a rewards program for inappropriate behavior while minimizing the consequences and the thought of this is like a cancer that spreads to other teens that are sitting on the fence. Lastly, The fact that this is a shock to everyone goes to show how in tune we are as parents, educators, and counselors. We've become complacent which breeds failure in us as adults and that is what our teens see.

It is not up to the school entirely. You start teaching right and wrong when the child is a baby. It first starts in the home, period! Blame it on poor families? I know poor familys that have good moral kids. Instead of having daycare at the schools, which does put out the wrong message, have a class teaching abstinence. I suppose that would come under "Christian Morality" and be opposed! When I do hear schools passing out condoms it makes me kind of ill. Why not spend their resources talking to kids ALONG with the parents about whats right. We are going down the wrong path in this country. They take God out of everything AND the 10 commandments. How awful for kids to learn: Don't kill, don't covet, don't steal, etc. The liberals are stepping in and doing everything they can to put forth an agenda of "if it feels good do it" and there are some teachers / professors out there that are NOT teaching your kids the right behavior. They should ONLY be teaching reading, writing, etc. If their liberal, keep their views away from my kids. Morality is going into the sewer. If you have a child, don't worry, just abort it (in other words KILL IT). The road we're heading is evil, plain and simple. People need to be held accountable for their behavior. I knew right and wrong when just a child. Some expect the government and other organizations to step in and clean up the mess. Well, I don't want my tax dollars spent for people being stupid. They want to have kids, ok, NO FREE MONEY. Make Them Work!!!!!!!!!!!! They might think twice about having more and more kids AND being irresponsible. Parents, their your kids, and YOU need to step up to the plate and talk and teach your kids!!!!!!!!!!!

BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA WAS “SELECTED” — NOT “ELECTED”! Why did the DNC push an unelectable, unfit for office person like Barack Hussein Obama, and declare and treat him like the official nominee when he is no such thing? And why did they treat the best candidate we’ve had in years, Senator Hillary Clinton, away? She, unlike others, loves this country and its people, and will take us to great heights as the president of the United States? What are Dean, Pelosi, Reid, Kennedy, Kerry, Carter (and other Dem big-wigs) getting out of these nefarious dealings? How much Obama campaign money went to the delegates? THE PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW! HILLARY WAS FORCED TO CAMPAIGN WITH THIS ANTI-AMERICAN WHO HAS TOO MANY TIES TO TERRORISTS. VOTE FOR JOHN McCAIN IN 2008.

My husband is a high school teacher of 38 years. He has taught health as well as physical education in 6 school districts. Having seen the rise of 'liberalism and lack of parents teaching values and ethics" there is no surprise that kids are on a slippery slope downward. Not all parents, of course, are included here. There are those who have solid values and ethics and moral standards and teach them to their children by living that example. It is the growing number of children who have no moral basis from which to come that is of great concern to us. Don't blame 'no child left behind'....blame the home from which these children come. Blame the parents who are not parenting and refuse to set the moral high ground from which these children will either stand or slide to the lowest example supplied them. Parents of pregnant teens who say that they are...'Embracing their daughters decisions' are just mouthing 'mumbo-jumbo' and deflecting the accountabilty for not doing their job.

Greta... UNBELIEVEABLE. Blaming anyone other than the girls is to show the Mayor's lack of understanding about the purpose of their education. Where is the Board of Education on this issue? Why is the Mayor speaking for them? I wish the school was spending their money on teachers, books, classroom aides, and NOT on in-school day care, nursery, or birth control distribution. It has been reported that the girls intentionally sought to get pregnant. Passing out condoms isn't really going to stop them, is it? This school is making a mockery of what an education should do for our kids.

The problem is that the responcilbility for children sexual education has been given to the schools, when are parents going wake up and take control back, and let schools teach reading,writting and arithmetic and thats it!

Kids today have no fear of consequences for their actions. The kids know that Liberals and Liberal judges will not punish them for anything, and will try to throw the kid's parent in jail if the kid does something wrong. America NEEDS CANEING, like in Korea. No more of the stupid bull shit of wrist slapping. Give the power back to the parents and teachers. Let the kids know, if they screw up bad, it's their fault, and they WILL get the shit beat out of them. WE NEED CANEING.

WOW... that is all I can say! As a parent of a pregnant bi-polar child, who society has decided can decide for herself if she wants to a) accept her diagnosis and b) take her meds, I am shocked to see people blame the parents. The way society is now, the kids have all the rights, not the parents. Society tells children that they should not feel bad or guilty about anything they do or say. Parents tell them differently, but peers are cooler, so they follow the crowd. My daughter "forgot" to take her birth control pills regularly, "forgot" to use a condome, and doesn't know who the baby daddy is. We have done everything we can possible do to help her out. She refuses all treatment. The doctors insist on her sitting and listening to reports on her, even though we tell them she can't handle listening to the whole report... as soon as she heard that one of the meds she was on "could" cause weight gain, she quit taking it cold turkey. This was a psych med, which, if suddenly stopped, could cause seizures even in people who never had seizures before... she didn't care, she didn't want to get fat. And she refused to take any psych meds after that, because SHE didn't have a problem, it was us! We were "anal, overprotective parents". She quit going to school, the school couldn't make her attend, nor could we. All anyone could do was cover their asses to make sure all the proper paperwork was in place. rediculous!