Guest Editorial: Attend today, achieve tomorrow

John Dewey once said, “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” As we welcome the start of a new school year, it’s time once again to remind and encourage our children to be in school, on time, every day.

By making school attendance a priority, you help your child get better grades, develop healthy life habits and avoid dangerous behaviors. When a child has poor attendance, especially in the early grades, that is often the start of more serious issues. One thing youth who enter the criminal justice system have in common is that they were truant, suspended, or not enrolled in school at the time they committed a crime.

Students who attend school regularly feel more connected to their community, develop important social skills and friendships, and are significantly more likely to graduate from high school, setting them up for a strong future.

We can all work together to stop truancy by continually emphasizing to our children that every school day counts.

Copyright 2019 WSFA 12 News. All rights reserved.