You may find this hard to believe, but the Associated Press is reporting that “More than a quarter of students missed at least 10% of the 2021-22 school year, making them chronically absent, according to the most recent data available.” That compares to 15% of students missing that much school before the pandemic.
It’s an epidemic of absenteeism that means 13.6 million children are drifting through school, barely learning anything — not even being properly socialized.
The “Lost Generation,” indeed.
Stanford University education professor Thomas Dee compiled the data in partnership with The Associated Press. The information was gathered from 40 states and Washington, D.C., and represents the most comprehensive accounting of absenteeism nationwide.
“The long-term consequences of disengaging from school are devastating. And the pandemic has absolutely made things worse and for more students,” said Hedy Chang, executive director of Attendance Works, a nonprofit addressing chronic absenteeism.
But why are the kids “disengaging” from school? Finances, housing instability, illness, transportation issues, school staffing shortages, anxiety, depression, bullying, and generally feeling unwelcome at school are all cited in the article. But all those issues have been present in varying degrees in many kids’ lives.
“For almost two years, we told families that school can look different and that schoolwork could be accomplished in times outside of the traditional 8-to-3 day. Families got used to that,” said Elmer Roldan from Communities in Schools of Los Angeles, which helps schools follow up with absent students.
For people who’ve long studied chronic absenteeism, the post-COVID era feels different. Some of the things that prevent students from getting to school are consistent — illness, economic distress — but “something has changed,” said Todd Langager, who helps San Diego County schools address absenteeism. He sees students who already felt unseen, or without a caring adult at school, feel further disconnected.
Indeed, shutting children out of classrooms for months at a time was the biggest mistake made in the history of American public schools. The process of socialization — absolutely critical to the learning process — was short-circuited when kids were forced to stay at home, indoors, not interacting with fellow students or even friends for the most part.
“Zoom school” was an utter and complete disaster because not only did kids fail to learn much, as test scores show conclusively, they couldn’t interact and share knowledge with other students — a key component of learning.
Even when they got back to school, they were ordered to “socially distance” themselves from other kids. They were forced to wear masks that were not only distracting but hid facial expressions.
Then there’s the propaganda that altered the way parents — and schools — think about sickness.
Another lasting effect from the pandemic: Educators and experts say some parents and students have been conditioned to stay home at the slightest sign of sickness.
Renee Slater’s daughter rarely missed school before the pandemic. But last school year, the straight-A middle schooler insisted on staying home 20 days, saying she just didn’t feel well.
The Los Angeles public schools have hit upon a brilliant scheme. Give kids “compassion grades” to give them a false sense of accomplishment. That will get them back in class!
The district’s grading policies also have changed, based on compassion during the pandemic and changes in academic philosophy. The district has entirely disconnected grades from attendance, turning in assignments on time and classroom behavior.
In promoting good attendance, the school system stresses the positives. Officials have ongoing supports for students, such as on-demand online tutoring and extra school days to catch up with assignments. But such assistance works best when students are in school.
I think we all know where to point the finger when assigning blame for this economic and social catastrophe. Certainly, Joe Biden and the CDC share some blame, given their faulty recommendations to parents about how to keep their children safe.
But by far and away, the most blame should fall on teacher’s unions who resisted the re-opening of classrooms, forced the idiotic masking of children, demanded classroom closure when it wasn’t necessary, and criticized parents who questioned any of it.
Those parents turned out to be mostly correct and the teachers turned out to be mostly wrong. But blame doesn’t help when the American public schools have so shamefully failed tens of millions of American children.
