When I was a prekindergarten teacher, my young students always provided an exciting share of challenges. There were children who cried when their parents left in the morning and those who were always last to be picked up. There were loud children and shy children, potty mishaps, and naptimes that left me exhausted. But the issues that concerned me most weren’t the things that happened inside my classroom, but what happened outside – especially when children regularly missed days of school.
In early education such as pre-k, merely showing up is one of the most important ways to ensure children can achieve academic success. Without consistent attendance, my students had a harder time mastering critical skills, including the basics of mathematics or reading. Some parents didn’t see the harm in missing school, but I saw my students losing ground and falling behind their classmates...