DeepSummary
The podcast episode discusses the concerning issue of chronic absenteeism in schools across the United States, even years after the pandemic. Data shows that before the pandemic, 15% of students were chronically absent, but after the pandemic, this number has nearly doubled to 28%. In the 2021-2022 school year, 26% of students were still chronically absent, meaning they missed at least 10% of the school year.
The reasons for this absenteeism vary across demographic groups. For higher-income families, parents are more likely to take their children out of school for vacations or leisure activities, as the pandemic has normalized the idea that physical attendance is not mandatory. For lower-income families, factors like illness, mental health issues, transportation barriers, and the need for children to work or provide childcare contribute to chronic absenteeism.
The episode highlights the long-term implications of chronic absenteeism, such as academic underperformance, disengagement from school, and the potential for dropping out. Experts suggest that addressing this issue requires a multi-pronged approach, including communication with parents, tutoring, and home visits to understand and address the underlying causes of absenteeism.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Chronic absenteeism, defined as missing at least 10% of the school year, has nearly doubled after the COVID-19 pandemic, with 26% of students being chronically absent in the 2021-2022 school year.
- The reasons for chronic absenteeism vary across demographic groups, with higher-income families taking advantage of the perceived optionality of school attendance for vacations, while lower-income families face barriers such as illness, mental health issues, and the need for children to work or provide childcare.
- Chronic absenteeism has long-term implications for academic performance, disengagement from school, and the potential for dropping out.
- The pandemic has normalized the idea that physical attendance is not mandatory, contributing to a cultural shift in how families perceive the importance of consistent school attendance.
- Addressing chronic absenteeism requires a multi-faceted approach, including communication with parents, tutoring, and home visits to understand and address the underlying causes of absenteeism.
- The rise in chronic absenteeism raises concerns about the ability of schools to effectively help students catch up on academic losses from the pandemic and highlights the need to rebuild trust in the education system.
- The pandemic has exposed both the value of in-person schooling and the flaws and resource constraints within the public education system, necessitating a reevaluation of how to best support students' academic and social-emotional needs.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “And by later that fall, we went from missing school one or two days a week the first month to by October of that school year, he was refusing entirely.“ by Dana Schepsky
- “If you're a higher income student, you're less likely to be academically affected because you're off getting like, an enriching experience when you're out of school, whereas lower income students, it's more harmful for them to miss school because the things that they're missing for are not necessarily academic replacements.“ by Sarah Mervosh
- “Will schools stay optional or will we come together again? Can this trust be rebuilt? Will schools be the pillars in our community going forward?“ by Sarah Mervosh
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Episode Information
The Daily
The New York Times
4/2/24