14 DAY TRIAL // Two pages in this year’s Mesa High School yearbook have sparked a lot of controversy in Arizona after the school's officials have decided to dedicate the spread to students who are parents or who are expecting.
Pages 40 and 41 of the school's yearbook are titled “I'm working a double shift,” and feature photos of pregnant students and students who already have children, along with comments on how difficult it is to raise a baby and struggle to finish high school at the same time.
On Monday, the school's principal Jim Souder has received a lot of angry calls from parents, or students, who expressed concerns about seeing teen pregnancy portrayed in a positive light. They didn't agree with the idea of having photos of teenage parents published along with images of students who had won awards or served in school clubs.
“It makes it look cute and ‘I’m doing so great,’” Shelly Adams, the parent of a Mesa High student, told 12 News in Arizona. “And it’s wonderful that they’re still in school and they’re trying to finish up their education, but at the same time it doesn’t really convey the reality of what they are going through.”
The principal refused to speak to the local press, and denied to share information about how many calls the school received.
However, in a statement to the aforementioned news outlet, the school made it clear that it was not their intention to glamorize teen pregnancy.
“The subject matter presented on several pages in the student life section of the Mesa High School yearbook reflect choices made outside the school environment,” it said, adding that young parents are “fully supported in their academic endeavors by the school and district.”
On the other hand, psychologist Barbara Greenberg says the polemic yearbook portrayal of teen parents can actually be a “fantastic teaching opportunity,” according to Today. She says parents should use these photos as a talking point and encourage their children to express their opinions about the subject matter. At the same time, she advises parents to explain their kids what the difficulties of raising a child while in high school are and tell them why it is better to wait until they’re older to start families.
Arizona's teen pregnancy rate is already among the nation's highest. The results of a study conducted in 2011, showed that Arizona ranked 15 out of 51 states on the final teen births rates among females aged 15-19.