From a young age, I heard disparaging comments about the handling of young women who had the bad judgment to get pregnant were whisked off to facilities that were mentioned in whispered undertones to live out their ignominy beyond the sight of their neighbors and acquaintances. For many years, I had the impression that this ridiculous practice was long past.

Imagine my surprise as a teenager, then, when I learned that even in my small, progressive school district, the one or two girls who got pregnant each year were "encouraged" to switch to the "alternative" high school, which was also where students with severe learning and behavior challenges went. Since then, I have been resigned to the idea that pregnancy is like a learning disability in the eyes of many school districts.

I am, therefore, pleased to read New York’s Schools for Pregnant Girls Will Close:

The schools’ demise, like their origins, may be a sign of changing times. Pregnancy schools across the country appear to be slowly fading away, partly stemming from the decade-long declining rate of teenage pregnancy and partly because of the idea that the girls should not be segregated from other students.

May it be so on all counts.