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School absences have ‘exploded’ almost everywhere

nytimes.com

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Re: School absences have ‘exploded’ almost everywhere

#101

Post by gilbetron »

jawns wrote: post #18

Is it possible that expectations around attendance have never been reasonable or even safe? In an ideal world, people shouldn't go to work or school when they are sick. Not only does it slow their recovery, but in the case of communicable diseases, it spreads the illness. Yet a lot of schools have released post-pandemic guidance about how students should still come to school with minor illnesses. And most workplaces…

I think we do have too little leeway for illnesses for school, but I don't think that's what is going on, at least anecdotally around me. Many parents take their kids out of school for week long vacations, for instance. Also, my son informed me that the day before a big break only half the kids will show up. Plus kids will often just leave because they feel like going home that day. I thought he was exaggerating, but when I drive by the high school he's in, I'll often see a few kids just walking home (or wherever).

Re: School absences have ‘exploded’ almost everywhere

#102

Post by tgv »

janwillemb wrote: post #11

> attendance has become optional I recognize this with my own kids and my students. Two things: 1) since the pandemic the bar for a sick day has been lowered drastically. 2) Educational material can be found online in most of the cases, at least in my university. Students think they can handle it themselves from home. These are not necessarily bad developments. What would be interesting to see is if the drop out rate…

> What would be interesting to see is if the drop out rate has increased.

Unis will drop their standards to get the desired pass rates.

Re: School absences have ‘exploded’ almost everywhere

#103

Post by xcode42 »

bluedevil2k wrote: post #43
diggan wrote: post #5

> In a working-class pocket of Michigan, school administrators have tried almost everything, including pajama day, to boost student attendance. Wow, pajama day didn't bring back students? So strange. I wonder if they tried less homework, shorter school-days and/or later start of the day? Basically the three reasons I myself was chronically absent from school for as long as I can remember.

Less homework? My teenage children are in honors and AP classes and barely have any homework. I think they should have far more homework. When I was their age I spent a few hours a day on homework. Parents I talk to feel the same way. Give the kids more work to do at home to keep them off their phones and YouTube.

I mean, you are their parent, if you believe that your kids don't have enough work to do, give them more work to do? why would that need to be handled through homework? the purpose of homework is to serve as a teaching aid to help students internalize and memorize the lessons given. If your kid is an honors student it sounds like he has learned what he needs to learn, why give them more homework?

Re: School absences have ‘exploded’ almost everywhere

#104

Post by williamcotton »

MattGaiser wrote: post #91
williamcotton wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why would you take your kids on a vacation during school? There are plenty of breaks during the year including all of summer.

Price. If you can travel outside of Dec 20-Jan10th and summer, you can pay maybe half. I have an annual grand trip around the world every year I do off season and I pay less for it in points or cash (mix depends on the places) than friends do to go to Hawaii for a week at Christmas.

What about just piling in the van and driving somewhere? That doesn’t cost more in the summer.

Is the expectation that a family takes a 2 week luxury vacation every year?

Re: School absences have ‘exploded’ almost everywhere

#105

Post by MattGaiser »

PaulKeeble wrote: post #86

Its world wide. In the UK the increase was analysed and its all due to increased sickness. Teachers and students are sick twice as much as they were before the pandemic begun and teachers are the second hardest hit group by Long Covid behind medical staff. The official count of UK children with Long Covid is 68,000 but its likely much higher than that since the NHS is mostly diagnosing Long haulers with anxiety (henc…

Or are we finally just accepting that people do get sick from time to time?

A friend at another school knew a guy who came to school with a stomach bug and puked several times throughout the day as they had a perfect attendance incentive worth a percentage of your grade, so to ensure he got his grades, he walked around puking for the day.

At the time people praised his dedication.

Re: School absences have ‘exploded’ almost everywhere

#107

Post by andrewnicolalde »

jraby3 wrote: post #7

In Israel a lot of the schools start with 20 minutes of body movement (at least near me). The kids become active. It’s not as big a deal if they are a little late. And my daughter (but not my son) hates missing it.

That makes a lot of sense, and I think it’s something that would have helped me during high school.

Re: School absences have ‘exploded’ almost everywhere

#108

Post by williamcotton »

vlunkr wrote: post #99
MattGaiser wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Price. If you can travel outside of Dec 20-Jan10th and summer, you can pay maybe half. I have an annual grand trip around the world every year I do off season and I pay less for it in points or cash (mix depends on the places) than friends do to go to Hawaii for a week at Christmas.

Also, lots of travel is based around life events. I can’t control the fact that funerals and weddings can happen at any time of year.

We’re going to two in-law weddings this year and missing a single day of school. Fly in, fly out.

Funerals are bereavement leave from school so you don’t need to worry.

I feel like 90% of midwesterners would be agreeing with me…

Re: School absences have ‘exploded’ almost everywhere

#109

Post by VyseofArcadia »

jawns wrote: post #18

Is it possible that expectations around attendance have never been reasonable or even safe? In an ideal world, people shouldn't go to work or school when they are sick. Not only does it slow their recovery, but in the case of communicable diseases, it spreads the illness. Yet a lot of schools have released post-pandemic guidance about how students should still come to school with minor illnesses. And most workplaces…

There is this liminal state of "sick, but not too sick to perform". A lot of us are fortunate enough to work from home if we've just got the sniffles, which lets us perform but not infect the office.

For those of us who can't just do work or school remote, I sure wish we could at least do like Japan and mask up. It seems like it should be common courtesy.

Re: School absences have ‘exploded’ almost everywhere

#110

Post by danpalmer »

williamcotton wrote: post #87
candiddevmike wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In my area, you get 10 days of unexcused absence per year before parents and kids start receiving fines and possibly a referral to CPS. That number is way too small IMO, and it forces folks to go to the doctor constantly for getting small illnesses excused (school policies are 24 hours without a fever, but they don't take temperatures, it's honor based...), since you want to keep those 10 days for an actual vacation.

Why would you take your kids on a vacation during school? There are plenty of breaks during the year including all of summer.

Not sure why you're being downvoted. Education is important, missing a week can set a student back by a long way. Holidays are fun and if you have the resources they are certainly worth doing, but not at the cost of keeping up with a child's education. If you can't afford the holiday at the prices when schools are off, maybe you can't afford the holiday! There are plenty of affordable holidays always available and kids care much less about luxuries than adults do.
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