THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, June 24, 1996 TAG: 9606210007
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A8 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: 45 lines
Cassandra Brooks shows teenage mothers life's possibilities. Most youths have some idea what life offers if they do things right, but other teenagers, especially ones lacking role models, have few clues. Almost in a haze, they may drift into a first pregnancy, then a second or a third - no planning required.
Brooks is a 33-year-old home-economics teacher at Oscar Smith High School in Chesapeake who persuaded school officials to let her start a special class for teenage mothers last year. It's the city's first GRADS program. The acronym stands for Graduation, Reality and Dual-role Skills. GRADS may be the worst acronym and best program we've heard of lately.
Portsmouth has had GRADS classes since 1989 and Suffolk has had them two years. Norfolk and Virginia Beach offer special schools for pregnant teenagers. We hope the other cities' teachers working with teenage mothers are as committed and good as Brooks.
As staff writer Debra Gordon reported Monday, Brooks' first class started with 19 young mothers. One moved away. Of the 12 seniors in the group, all graduated and eight have been accepted to college. Of primary importance, none became pregnant again.
Brooks' goal is that the teenagers have no more babies till they become women with careers, husbands and bank accounts. So in addition to teaching parenting skills, she tells the students about the wonderful world of college and careers and makes it all sound within reach, which it is, if they'll do the work.
Of 18 mothers for whom GRADS had no room at Oscar Smith this past school year, four are pregnant again. Twelve of those 18 were seniors, and only five of them are graduating. The 18 mothers' accumulative grade average was about half that of the students under Brooks.
Regionally, about five of every 100 South Hampton Roads girls ages 10 to 19 became pregnant in 1994, the last year for which figures are available. GRADS lowers the number of teenage pregnancies by teaching teenage mothers to dream of a better life and by showing them how to get it.
Next year, about 69 Oscar Smith High School mothers will be trying for 15 GRADS spots. GRADS is a program that works, and it should be expanded as much as possible. It's a shame we can't clone Brooks, so there could be five of her in every school. by CNB