I had attempted to homeschool her, but the paperwork never got done. Lynn Meleady turns to the detective who s handcuffing her. Debates over education reform have consumed the nation. On all levels, school officials and politicians argue about vouchers, instruction methods and classroom prayer. Teachers unions demand smaller class sizes and better working conditions.
Principals plead for more resources.
But one of education s most crucial components attendance is curiously absent from most discussions. No matter what the conditions around them, children who sit at their desks each day at least have a chance at education. Truant children do not. Kids who don t come to school can t learn. And children who miss conspicuous amounts of time and then return to the classroom often demand so much attention from the teacher that other students suffer.