Detroit Public School Emergency Manager Roy Roberts has ordered the closure of Detroit’s school for pregnant girls and teen mothers but teacher Nicole Conaway says the move could be costly. In a letter to the Detroit Free Press today Catherine Ferguson Academy teacher Nicole Conaway says closing the school won’t fix budget problems for Detroit or Michigan. State-controlled DPS claims the “extras” CFA provides are too costly.
“„State-controlled DPS claims the “extras” CFA provides are too costly. But, most funding for CFA comes from separate funding for at-risk and low-income students, not the DPS general fund. …
“„Pregnancy is the number-one reason women drop out of school. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, 70% of teen moms do. However, for more than 20 years, Detroit has had one the nation’s best resources for teen mothers. Now it is on the verge of being taken away.
“„In 2004, Michigan spent $115 million imprisoning sons of teen parents. We spend $35,000 per prisoner annually. Children of teens are 13% more likely to be incarcerated, according to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. The money spent on early childhood care at CFA is a wise investment in their future and ours. It provides the foundation they need and deserve.