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Let me offer a bit of context:

I would be willing to wager that anywhere from 30 to 50 percent of the nearly 1000 students at the school where I teach have at least one parent with a different last name.

I would also be willing to wager that, compared to the pregnancy rates of teens when I was in high school (the 70’s), teen pregnancy rates are, what could be considered, off the charts (we have probably had around 30 to 40 teens become pregnant over the past year and a half.)

I have conferenced with grandmothers in their late 30’s.

In any given school year, I can have as many as 12-20 students who live in group homes.

I have countless students who, instead of living at home with their parents, live with their grandparents, aunts/uncles, older siblings.

I live with my first and only wife (of 20 years this October) and our 3 children.