CHARLESTON, W.Va. — New West Virginia state School Superintendent Michael Martirano became passionate Wednesday when addressing state lawmakers for the first time since taking the job last month. The topic was student attendance.
Martirano said research shows the problems that result in dropouts begin in elementary school.
“The first factor to emerge that indicates that a child has a predictive rate of dropping out of school down the road is attendance. They stop showing up for school and they start falling behind,” he said.
Martirano spoke to a legislative interim committee meeting at the state capitol. He said the value in West Virginia must be that all students show up for school everyday ready to learn.
“It’s non-compromising. It’s the law,” Martirano said. “We can’t drop back and say, ‘It’s okay because you have a headache today or you stayed up too late last night, it’s okay.’ No, when I grew up in the mountains of western Maryland (it was), ‘Get to school. It’s important. It’s your job.'”
Martirano told lawmakers about his plan to improve student achievement called “One Voice, One Focus: All Students Achieving Together.” A big part of that plan is student attendance.
“I need every parent in this state to embrace that value because if we don’t have children in school we can’t do the work necessary,” he said. “And I’m convinced if we can turn that around we are going have a better shot improving the academic achievement for children who need it the most.”