Brockton Public Schools

School Committee Policy

HOME TEACHING AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION FOR PREGNANT AND PARENTING STUDENTS - JIEA

  1. Pregnancy is not an illness. Therefore, the Brockton School Department policy is to discourage a pregnant teen from leaving school to be taught at home unless there is an extenuating medical condition. Our experience has shown that a pregnant teen is much more likely to return to school after giving birth if she remains in school rather than receive home teaching during her pregnancy.
  2. At Brockton High School, a teen who is pregnant will be expected to remain in school until giving birth, and return after approximately two to three weeks. The Project Grads program offers on-site daycare for the high school student with transportation, support services, and the medical services of a full time nurse. In addition, the new mother is able to spend time with her child during the day as well as receive parenting instruction and childcare techniques. If the teen parent chooses not to participate in the Project Grads program, the facilitator will assist her in obtaining appropriate outside daycare.
  3. At the Junior High level, the student should remain in school for the duration of the pregnancy. Once the student has given birth, she should return to school as soon as possible. Realizing that some daycare centers will accept infants only when they reach the age of six to eight weeks, this should be the longest period of time that the teen mother is allowed to remain on home teaching.
  4. A pregnant woman needs proper exercise. Unless medically unsafe and documented by her obstetrician, the pregnant student will be assigned an appropriate activity to fulfill her physical education requirement. After giving birth, the teen mother will be expected to return to regular physical education classes at six weeks postpartum unless her doctor medically excuses her.