I’m an educator. I’ve spent my entire career in service of students, teachers, and schools. I’ve trained future teachers, advised school districts, and researched education systems. I’ve given talks on classroom climate and student engagement. I’ve led national initiatives on school mental health. So, when I became a parent, I assumed—naively—that my own children might not always love school, but they’d go, do their best, and move forward.
I could not have been more wrong.
When my children started missing school, I was overwhelmed with confusion, frustration, and—if I’m honest—shame. What was wrong with me as a mother? Hadn’t I done everything right? How could I be both an expert in education and so unprepared for this?
Then the pandemic hit. Everything unraveled further. Remote learning, isolation, anxiety—it didn’t just disrupt our routines, it upended our relationship with school. And while the mother in me was heartbroken, the professor in me was…fascinated.
I knew this wasn't just about my family. Something bigger was happening. The story unfolding in my home was echoing across the country…across the globe!
We’re in a National Attendance Crisis
Today, chronic absenteeism—defined as missing 10% or more of the school year—is one of the most urgent issues in education. More than one in four students are chronically absent, and in some communities, it’s closer to half.
This isn’t just a student issue. It’s a system issue. It’s a community issue. And it’s one that threatens to derail our recovery from the pandemic, deepen existing inequities, and erode the foundational trust between schools and families.
When students miss school, they don’t just fall behind on math or reading. They lose connection—to peers, to caring adults, to opportunity. As I discussed in my podcast conversation with Dr. Carolyn Gentle-Genitty and the team at Attendance Works, chronic absenteeism reflects deeper issues of mental health, disengagement, and unmet needs.
Why Students Aren’t Showing Up
Through my research, collaboration with school districts, and personal experience, here’s what I’ve learned: students aren’t missing school because they’re lazy or apathetic. They’re missing school because they’re overwhelmed.
Some are struggling with anxiety or depression—one EdWeek survey found that anxiety is the leading reason high schoolers miss school, after illness. Others face housing instability, bullying, lack of transportation, or the pressure of working jobs to support their families. Many feel disconnected from school culture, unsure of their value or place in the system.
For some parents, school attendance has come to feel optional. During remote learning, many families learned to make do—and some still believe that if a child falls behind, they can catch up later. But the truth is, every missed day matters.
What Doesn’t Work Anymore
We have to stop relying on outdated strategies. Perfect attendance awards? They often alienate the students who need the most support. Punitive responses like truancy court or withholding privileges? They erode trust and push students further away.
We can’t solve 21st-century problems with 20th-century tools.
What Does Work
What’s working—in schools that are turning the tide on chronic absenteeism—is something more holistic, more human:
- Connection. Students need to know someone at school sees them, knows them, and wants them there. Research shows that relationships with even one trusted adult can significantly reduce absenteeism.
- Support over shame. When students return after a string of absences, they don’t need punishment—they need wraparound support. Tutoring, mental health services, and patience.
- Community partnerships. Schools can’t do this alone. At the national Every Day Counts Summit, leaders shared powerful examples of door-knocking campaigns, pediatrician referrals, and local business incentives—all helping families find their way back to school.
- Smart data. Real-time dashboards in places like Rhode Island and Indiana are helping schools track attendance daily and intervene early.
Where We Go From Here
We must reframe how we talk about attendance. This is not just about compliance—it’s about connection. It’s not about getting bodies in seats—it’s about building environments students want to return to.
At the Scanlan Center for School Mental Health, we are committed to supporting schools in this work. Through professional development, strategic guidance, and research-based tools, we’re helping educators and community partners reimagine what’s possible.
But make no mistake—this is not a school problem to be solved by schools. It’s a call to action for all of us: parents, policymakers, pediatricians, pastors, and yes—even professors who thought they had all the answers until the crisis hit home.
Let’s Keep the Conversation Going
- Listen to our podcast episode on attendance with Dr. Carolyn Gentle-Genitty and Attendance Works.
References
- Attendance Works. (n.d.). Chronic absence: What is it and why does it matter? Retrieved from https://www.attendanceworks.org
- EdWeek Research Center. (2023). Why students are missing so much school: Anxiety, health issues top the list. Education Week. Retrieved from https://www.edweek.org
- Gentle-Genitty, C., & Attendance Works. (2024). Podcast episode on chronic absenteeism and school connectedness. Scanlan Center for School Mental Health. https://scsmh.education.uiowa.edu
- U.S. Department of Education. (2024). Every Day Counts Summit: National strategies to reduce chronic absenteeism. Retrieved from https://www.ed.gov
- FutureEd at Georgetown University. (2023). Real-time data systems to track attendance: Innovations from Rhode Island and Indiana. Retrieved from https://www.future-ed.org
- Chang, H. N., & Romero, M. (2008). Present, Engaged, and Accounted For: The Critical Importance of Addressing Chronic Absence in the Early Grades. National Center for Children in Poverty.
- National Center for Education Statistics. (2023). Chronic absenteeism in public schools: An analysis of the 2021–22 school year. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov