Should a Charter School Be Able to Require Students to Take a Pregnancy Test?

they are a private school so they have a right to do it. what if some of these girls got scholarships from the school. we don't know their rules if they get preganant. plus do the parents know?

Well, charter schools aren't entirely privatized, if they want to make up their own rules, they need to cut themselves off from the government.
Most privatized schools are religious, more often than not Christian/Catholic. What a fine example of loving thy neighbor and doing unto others they have for kicking students out for being pregnant!
I'm sure Jesus was going around proclaiming that pregnant women aren't to be healed or worthy of being treated with respect! /sarcasm
If they are going to organize a specialized school for these pregnant women, then fine, they can move them into those to give them a better chance.
I'm sure the parents will want to do what's best for their child, but the school has no right pushing it's nose into a medical affair. We're talking minors, with a supervising Doctor, perhaps, I'd be more inclined to be on their side.
But what about if the child needs to take the Pill for medical reasons? Kick them out? After all, contraception often conflicts with religion.
This is despicable and if this happened to one of my (non existent) kids or nieces I would sue for breach of privacy and sexual harassment (if I could)!

And do what exactly? Ban the kid from attending? There's a legal battle. Inflict penalties? It's an out of school activity, intercourse and getting pregnant. Notify the parents? What if the parents already know? And if they don't, it's a personal matter nonetheless. None of the schools damn business is what it boils down too.

I am not sure what is in the contract one must sign to enroll in a charter school. If it is in the contract then yes.

Where is it any of their business?

This is getting to the point of ridculous.

they are a private school so they have a right to do it. what if some of these girls got scholarships from the school. we don't know their rules if they get preganant. plus do the parents know?

Well, kids don't have rights, technically speaking. It depends on what the parents want. However, would the parents have liked it if this was forced on them as well? Doubt it. I say not sure because I'm not sure what the parents of said school will decide for themselves. I'd hope that they wouldn't do it, but...............

What the hell? Of course not!!!

I don't see why not, If you don't like it, simply don't go.

Also I'm a little tired of people putting up excuses as to why not, based on gender, men and women are clearly different, don't go thinking that everything should be the same just cause. It's like going to a Catholic School and complaining that you have to take religion or pray, well guess what, no one is forcing you to go, you have a right not to attend that institution. I'm as much for women's rights as the next person, but this has nothing to do with such.

Trust me I was actually in favour of voting No at the start, but it's not a public school. It's like a company pulling drug tests on it's employees, which i think should be the next step over this whole pregnancy thing.

I'm aware that I'm probably gonna get a few bashing comments because of this, or maybe people are mature enough to see my point, but that is how it is, you can't get your way all the time, you have to be open to both sides.

Charter schools receive public funding. They are free to attend to the public.

Just a little factoid you seem to be unaware off.

I'm aware of that, but there are other schools. Clearly you can go to another one of your choice. Trust me i don't usually blindly comment something, i did do a bit of research before deciding to put this up.

Notifying the parents that they have suspicions about their child's sexual activity yes, but that is as far as it should go.

Honestly, some of you people get disgusted, but if a girl is safe, she has nothing to worry about. If you have sex, be prepared for the consequences.
Back in my mom's time, it wasn't a question. If you were pregnant in school, you weren't allowed back. Catholic schools.

i just cant find the words to describe how disgusting that is

Private schools, like private companies can ask all kinds of things of their students, employees. You make the choice of attending/working or not. Private means just that, private.

Well, that'd be great if a charter school were the same as a private school. By definition, they are not.

You're right, but charter schools are like magnet schools and they also have requirements. Honestly speaking, both types of schools want to have as high a percentage of successes as possible. Pregnant teenagers have a better chance of
dropping out (check stats). They just have to take percentages into account when selecting pupils. Not all things in life are equal.

Sure, not all things in life are equal, but why should education be based on anything besides performance? If a pregnant girl can still do well in her coursework, let her stay. If she can't, don't let her stay. It's ridiculous to write someone off as a failure before they even fail.

Everyone makes choices, some good and some bad. No one's writing her off,
she will just have to make other arrangements. There are public schools to go to.
Honestly, if a girl doesn't wish to think wisely about her body, forget getting pregnant, let's talk about HIV. People like you want everything equal and that's
just not how the real world works. Why then, aren't all of us millionairs? I guess we should be by your standards. If not, let's just make new rules so that everyone can be one. We all have different goals, ideas and drive and determination.

Being handed something like a million dollars is different than being handed an opportunity for education. It doesn't make us all "equal," it just gives us all an equal chance.

If some unintelligent girl who is not pregnant can stay at the school, why can't a more intelligent pregnant girl? School opportunity shouldn't have to do with parenthood/pregnancy but with how intelligent the students are. What else is school even for?

With all the information both in and out of school on how to avoid getting
pregnant, quite simply, how intelligent is the girl who gets pregnant in the first place?

One does not need to be "street smart" to be book smart. How intelligent is the girl who gets pregnant and does not abort? Well, that's another question we might also ask.
Plenty of people young and old have accidental pregnancies. They may have been on birth control at the time. Doesn't mean they can't do math anymore, their brain has not rotted away in 9 months.

You have very strong feelings about this and may I suggest that you
put some funds toward a school that meets your needs regarding these girls. That's how to change occurs, not through words, but through actions.

Absolutely not. Many people will say it isn't sexism, but it is - this school is expelling students who are pregnant. However, the students are never asked who the father is, and the fathers are not expelled. Besides that, it's just an invasion of privacy.

Charters are private schools, they can make their own rules. If you don't like them, find another school

Charter schools are not private schools.

really? are they acredited? who runs them?

A charter school is regulated by more government restrictions than a private school because it receives government money to operate. Private schools have more freedom to run the school however they choose because they are privately funded. While almost all private schools charge tuition, charter schools do not. Both types of schools can be accredited. However, more charter schools are accredited than private schools.

Ok, thanks for the information.
What is the difference between a charter school and the unified school districts then? If both are funded by the government, is there an advantage of one over the other? I don't understand why we would need both...

Why!!

It is not a question about what a school for minors wants to do , the question is will the Parents allow the school to do (whatever) or not do it. School Boards do make mistakes (if you dont think so , then just look at what is happening to education in American grade, jr high, and high schools) if that is not enough to convince you parents that School Boards make mistakes all the times for many years then I have a bridge to sell you. All that needs to happen here is the parents of the students attending this school show up at the Prinicipals office and say NO , then show up at the School Board meeting and get a bad idea cancelled once and for all. Kids , get you folks involved in your school and dont get bullied .

Obviously they have been sued for not supervising before, so yea - let them require anything they want - there are other charter schools.

As long as it doesn't interfere with her ability to continue class it's none of their business. Saying it's a distraction to other students is an excuse, nothing more. Most kids would get over it after a few days..especially if she doesn't try to hide it from everyone. Let others know, it'll get around quickly, and after a little while no one will care anymore. It'll be "old news" as the kids move on to something else.

At the school the question is based on, the girls are removed from the school and not allowed to attend until they either have an abortion or give birth.

So...kill the kid or miss out on up to a full year of school, putting them behind by a year. yeah...thats real fair *sarcasm drips*

I wasn't arguing that the situation is fair, I was just pointing out that it does affect their ability to continue class. Not inherently, but due to the school's unfair rules.

what ever happened to privacy.

Nope. That is a violation of a minor's privacy, which the parents of the minor have say over, NOT the school...this would constitute a violation of Federal law.

Cater school's nation wide SHOULD be teaching sex education in school,NOT requiring student's to take pregnancy test. If the Carter School have been teaching sex education in school in the first place,you wouldn't be requiring pregnancy test.