In a time when health information travels faster than ever, families are faced with complex decisions about their children’s well-being. In our recent Clearinghouse on Childhood Immunizations we focused on one essential truth: immunizations remain one of the most effective tools we have to protect children, schools, and communities. For generations, routine childhood vaccines have safeguarded children from serious and potentially life-threatening diseases. Illnesses that once disrupted classrooms and claimed young lives were rare in the United States because families, healthcare providers, and schools worked together to prioritize prevention. These immunizations not only protected individual children, but also strengthened community immunity, which aided in shielding infants,…

On this Valentine’s Day, we wanted to share a love letter about our nation’s public schools! Public schools serve many purposes.  They prepare students for the workforce or higher education, and to be informed participants in our democracy.  They provide child care, meals, transportation, health screenings, counseling, and access to sports and the arts.  They are community centers, polling places, and emergency shelters.  At the root of all of this, our public schools exist to serve the common good. Parents for Public Schools (PPS) was founded over 30 years ago by a group of parents and community members in Jackson,…

Attendance is more than just a daily headcount. It's a powerful predictor of student success. Unfortunately, since the pandemic, chronic absenteeism has surged to crisis levels, nearly doubling in many schools. While there have been signs of improvement, absence rates remain high, especially in high-poverty districts and among students of color. Each missed day of school is more than a lost lesson; it is a missed opportunity to learn, to connect with peers, and to build the skills students need for the classroom and their future careers. Student attendance rates not only play a significant role in student achievement but…