Ryan Scallon is superintendent of Portland Public Schools. He can be reached at superintendent@portlandschools.org.
As the new superintendent of Portland Public Schools, I’m excited to welcome students back to school. Students in grades 1-12 return Sept. 6, followed by our pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students on Sept. 7. I look forward to our students showing up for day one – but also for every day of the school year. We have a lot to offer at PPS, and I don’t want anyone to miss out.
September is National Attendance Awareness Month. Students who miss two or more days during this crucial first month of school are significantly more likely to be chronically absent for the entire year, putting them at risk for falling behind in reading, failing middle school and dropping out of high school.
By contrast, students who attend regularly are more likely to graduate….
