Episode 6: How Can Teachers Improve Student Attendance?

Nationally, an estimated 26 percent of public school students were considered chronically absent last school year, up from 15 percent before the pandemic. While we know that this severely impacts students’ learning, what exactly is the role of the classroom teacher in addressing this issue? John and Santha discuss the need for a systemic response by schools and districts, and then Santha shares interviews with students who were present at her school, but who chose not to go to class. Their responses lead John and Santha to discuss possible actions that classroom teachers can take to encourage student attendance.