EMILY's List
Klobuchar, Hagan work to keep students in school
By Emily on 09/08/2009 @ 11:22 AM
For many students, better grades means better attendance at school -- and Senators Amy Klobuchar (MN) and Kay Hagan (NC) are ready to do something about it.
Last week, the senators joined together to cosponsor legislation aimed at combating truancy nationwide, emphasizing the importance of targeting younger students than traditional programs. While some federal programs are aimed at high school students, Klobuchar said that truancy patterns often begin in middle school and early contact is the best means of prevention.
And the effects of staying in school are far-reaching, from better future job prospects to a decreased likelihood of criminal activity. "Truancy is sometimes called the ‘kindergarten of crime’ because it’s an early risk factor for many other kinds of trouble, including criminal behavior," Klobuchar said in a statement last week. "I believe that reducing truancy is one of the surest ways to prevent crime, keep our communities safe and help our young people succeed in life.”
Called the “Student Attendance Success Act," the program would be part of the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind legislation. Klobuchar noted that lack of funding has been a major obstacle for the legislation, and she said it will be important to make major changes when the bill is up for debate this year.
“High expectations are good for our students, and strong accountability is good for our schools. But to get the job done, we need to make sure that No Child Left Behind is measuring the right things and providing the resources to do it.”
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