A bill to require schools to promote marriage before having kids has divided Indiana
A bill to require schools to promote marriage before having kids has divided Indiana
Advocates of the “success sequence” say a simple formula staves off poverty for nearly everyone. Critics disagree.
Last month, an Indiana state senator made a bold promise: Require public schools to teach the importance of getting married before having children, and nearly all students will prosper later in life.
“The chance of them being poor is almost zero,” Sen. Spencer Deery, a Republican, told legislators.
“I think from an anti-poverty standpoint,” he added, his voice rising with excitement, “this might be the single most important thing we could be teaching.”
The concept Deery was referring to is known as the “success sequence,” a three-step formula touted by conservatives for boosting young people’s chances of financial stability: First, obtain a high school diploma or higher; then, find a full-time job; finally, get married before having children.