Redford Union Schools to start home visits to raise attendance

REDFORD, Mich. – Going door to door works for political campaigns, and now a local school district is hoping it will also work for a campaign to improve attendance during the school year.

Redford families are soaking up their time together before school resumes. Sweets Tucker is a proud Redford Union Schools parent. He supports the district's attempt to raise attendance numbers.

"I commend the school district," Tucker said. "I commend them all."

The district sent out a letter to let parents know that, through a new partnership, district staff will make home visits to students who aren't getting to school regularly.

"When I first saw and read the letter, I was, like, 'Wow, I think this is a great idea,'" said Redford parent Kenya Rashed-Brown. 

Rashed-Brown and her husband, Michael Brown, have children who graduated from Redford schools and children who are currently in the school district.

"Parents face challenges that we sometimes just don't know about," Rashed-Brown said. "I think the home visit will help with that."

"It also helps to get the parent to feeling like a part of the district. You're not just a number or price tag in a school room," Brown said. "They actually care." 

The district superintendent said 38 percent of students in the district missed 10 or more days of school last year and the district want all children in school. It hopes the new policy will get to the root of the problem.

"If they keep on making more efforts to follow up, then the parents need to comply, and the community needs to comply," Tucker said.

The school has a partnership with Concentric Educational Solutions to conduct the visits.


About the Authors:

Koco joined the Local 4 News team in September of 2016. She was born and raised in Metro Detroit, attended Central Michigan University, and previously worked at WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids.