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Dale Bain: Parental Involvement in Child’s Education is Critically Important

By Dale Bain, Vice-President, Elmore County Board of Education

School attendance matters!  I recently attended a school board conference where I heard earth shaking statistics.  I heard that only 35% of parents are very or extremely concerned about their child’s education.

This means that 65% are not very concerned or, some not at all concerned.  This is child neglect!  I also heard that there are possibly school systems that only have 50% attendance.  This is astounding. 

School systems are supposed to be held accountable for their system’s attendance percentage. Sounds to me like some are not?  All schools across the USA have been wounded during this pandemic.  Some worse than others. 

This infliction goes from no way to go Virtual, (no devices, nor Broadband/WIFI access), severe shortages of bus drivers and teachers, food shortages, broken infrastructure, and the list goes on.  I also learned that there are three main reasons for absences – Can’t Attend, Won’t Attend, Don’t Attend! This problem lands in parents’ lap!

I remember when my daughters were going to school.  I made up my mind that my family would attend the public school system that our great country had set up hundreds of years ago. 

I became intimately involved with their education, to the point of school discipline, and even attending their classes if needed. 

I am happy to announce that both graduated with honors, attended post-secondary programs, married and put their children (my grandchildren) through school also. 

I urge all parents to get Intimately Involved with your child’s education.  Life in this high-tech, swift moving, disease danger, and just plain common-sense world demands it!

Let us all study and understand the ROOT causes for student absenteeism:

*Do parents/guardians recognize the importance of and support REGULAR school attendance?

*Does the student get to avoid difficult social or academic situations by staying away from school?

* Is there a caring/loving adult at the school that is concerned and will mentor the student. 

Parents must understand that attendance, particularly in the early years. matters for academic success.

SCHOOL ATTENDANCE MATTERS, PLEASE GET INTIMATELY INVOLVED!