Every empty desk tells a story. Behind every absent student is a family struggling, a system failing, or a child who has simply lost hope. Susie Winfield spent decades uncovering those stories. As an Army veteran, retired police officer, and school truancy liaison, she walked into homes others avoided, built trust where there was none, and brought children back to school one conversation at a time. Count Me Present is the playbook she built from the front lines. Packed with real interventions, proven incentive strategies, and tools to reshape school culture from the inside out, this book gives administrators, educators, and community leaders everything they need to turn attendance from a crisis into a movement. Because a child who shows up is a child who still believes the future is worth preparing for.