Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023 | 2 a.m.
No matter the outcome of the squabble between the Clark County Education Association and the Clark County School District, we will not see improvement until the major problem behind poor performance is addressed.
The problem is truancy. Many studies of school performance have been done over the years, and a consistent predictor of performance is the socioeconomic conditions of the school district. In other words, those communities that value education will make sure their offspring receive a good one. The key to success is that their children are going to school. Put a child in front of a teacher and the majority of the time, he or she will hear what the teacher is saying.
Attacking truancy will require working together as a team. It must be led by a combination of the judicial system, CCSD, Metro police, truancy officers, bus drivers and the business community. The law requires student attendance. These laws need to be ruthlessly enforced. That means the guardians of truant students may need to be hauled into court multiple times before they realize it is easier to make sure the student goes to school rather than face the judge again.
