Roughly 25% of MCPS students are chronically absent, and absenteeism response plan delayed

Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The absences (excused) add up quickly for the dentist, the orthodontist and a visit to the pediatrician. Why the orthodontist isn’t open in the afternoons, I do not know. Same for dentist. The providers could be more helpful - especially when your kid needs to have a regular appointment.


Yeah, that's a shift that most of healthcare doesn't want to make. Probably because doctors have families too and don't want to be working from 3-10 pm.


Many dental offices (especially orthodontists) have office hours beginning at 7am. Some general dentists have Saturday hours. With all the MCPS half days and holidays, there’s opportunities to schedule appointments without missing class time.


Have you every tried to book a doctor's or dentist appointment on a half day or holiday? They get booked out weeks or months in advance. There's not enough of them to make that the go-to solution.


I knew this excuse was coming. Yes, dear, we know that. That’s why you look at the calendar you get months before the school year even starts, plan ahead and make your regular appointments “weeks or months in advance.” If your ped doesn’t have same day work-ins for sick visits, get a new one or go to urgent care. Done.


Newsflash - not all of us have jobs that allow us to take off at any time, even when medical appointments are scheduled months or weeks in advance. Things come up that necessitate rescheduling time out of the office. I guess perfect people like you don't have that, but some of us have less flexible work arrangements.
Anonymous
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Anonymous wrote:
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Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don't believe school districts are responsible to ensure kids attend school. That is a parenting issue. I'm sorry, but why waste money on some kind of plan? Parents can send their kids or not.


Yes, agree with this. Why should schools care at this point. Honestly, the ones who are chronically absent are probably the ones who are causing problems at the school so the more they're absent, the better.


Not really, cause then they're out in the community pushing drugs, robbing stores or carjacking.

Keeping kids in school is a public safety and community wellbeing issue and we all should care about it. This selfish mindset is why we're in the mess that we're in right now.


What do you expect the schools to do? For most of these kids (and their parents), they don't care what punishment is enforced. And honestly, why should my kid suffer having to deal with these kids at school when most of them don't even want to be there. My kid actually wants to learn unlike them.


You should care for multiple reasons. These kids are part of our community and having kids mature into adults with no marketable skills is not good for anyone. Also, kids being absent a lot puts more stress on teachers because there is pressure to help these kids make up lost learning so these teachers are less available for your kid. Finally, teachers are under a lot of pressure to pass these kids which ultimately devalues the MCPS HS diploma


Tell me what "we" the parents of kids who care about school, should do to help make the kids who are chronically absent go to school. Like I said, all I can do is worry about my child; and really, as someone with a kid in ES, MS, and HS, I can tell you that teachers are not stressed out about absent kids. All they do (or can do) is give them a barely passing grade. This is hurting the chronically absent kids more than anyone. At some point, people need to take accountability for their OWN actions; and sorry but someone with no marketable skills isn't going to impact me or my child; now or in the future. We might not even be living here once my kid graduates high school.


Teachers are stressed out by chronic absenteeism. I know because I am a HS teacher. I have kids pop back into class the last couple weeks of the quarter and beg to make up enough work to pass or even get a C. There is a lot of pressure from counselors and administrators to help these kids pass. It is exhausting and frustrating and seems unfair to other students who come every day but might still have a C or D.


Yes! I'm so tired of my kids teachers being chronically absent!


I know it's funny. At my kids schools their teachers are out far more than any students.


I think many of the teachers at my kid's school are out at least once a week too. So they're absent about 20% of the time.


We had two teachers in MS out at least twice a week. Really bad year.


In my experience the teachers are also absent more than any kids I know.


Here, folks, is the lazy parent in its natural habitat. Every single post about kids doing something wrong becomes “NEENER NEENER — teachers do it worse!!!”

Grow so very much up.


I'm a DP, but am curious. If it's not important for teachers to have regular attendance, why should it be important for kids?

Of course, the answer is that it's important for both, but people like you won't admit that.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don't believe school districts are responsible to ensure kids attend school. That is a parenting issue. I'm sorry, but why waste money on some kind of plan? Parents can send their kids or not.


Yes, agree with this. Why should schools care at this point. Honestly, the ones who are chronically absent are probably the ones who are causing problems at the school so the more they're absent, the better.


Not really, cause then they're out in the community pushing drugs, robbing stores or carjacking.

Keeping kids in school is a public safety and community wellbeing issue and we all should care about it. This selfish mindset is why we're in the mess that we're in right now.


What do you expect the schools to do? For most of these kids (and their parents), they don't care what punishment is enforced. And honestly, why should my kid suffer having to deal with these kids at school when most of them don't even want to be there. My kid actually wants to learn unlike them.


You should care for multiple reasons. These kids are part of our community and having kids mature into adults with no marketable skills is not good for anyone. Also, kids being absent a lot puts more stress on teachers because there is pressure to help these kids make up lost learning so these teachers are less available for your kid. Finally, teachers are under a lot of pressure to pass these kids which ultimately devalues the MCPS HS diploma


Tell me what "we" the parents of kids who care about school, should do to help make the kids who are chronically absent go to school. Like I said, all I can do is worry about my child; and really, as someone with a kid in ES, MS, and HS, I can tell you that teachers are not stressed out about absent kids. All they do (or can do) is give them a barely passing grade. This is hurting the chronically absent kids more than anyone. At some point, people need to take accountability for their OWN actions; and sorry but someone with no marketable skills isn't going to impact me or my child; now or in the future. We might not even be living here once my kid graduates high school.


Teachers are stressed out by chronic absenteeism. I know because I am a HS teacher. I have kids pop back into class the last couple weeks of the quarter and beg to make up enough work to pass or even get a C. There is a lot of pressure from counselors and administrators to help these kids pass. It is exhausting and frustrating and seems unfair to other students who come every day but might still have a C or D.


Yes! I'm so tired of my kids teachers being chronically absent!


I know it's funny. At my kids schools their teachers are out far more than any students.


I think many of the teachers at my kid's school are out at least once a week too. So they're absent about 20% of the time.


We had two teachers in MS out at least twice a week. Really bad year.


In my experience the teachers are also absent more than any kids I know.


Here, folks, is the lazy parent in its natural habitat. Every single post about kids doing something wrong becomes “NEENER NEENER — teachers do it worse!!!”

Grow so very much up.


I'm a DP, but am curious. If it's not important for teachers to have regular attendance, why should it be important for kids?

Of course, the answer is that it's important for both, but people like you won't admit that.



Are you serious? You can't see the difference between kids who need to learn how to read, write, and do basic math and adults who already demonstrate mastery? I have students in 3rd grade who are barely on a kindergarten level in terms of reading and it's entirely due to poor attendance. They will never recover from this academically.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don't believe school districts are responsible to ensure kids attend school. That is a parenting issue. I'm sorry, but why waste money on some kind of plan? Parents can send their kids or not.


Yes, agree with this. Why should schools care at this point. Honestly, the ones who are chronically absent are probably the ones who are causing problems at the school so the more they're absent, the better.


Not really, cause then they're out in the community pushing drugs, robbing stores or carjacking.

Keeping kids in school is a public safety and community wellbeing issue and we all should care about it. This selfish mindset is why we're in the mess that we're in right now.


What do you expect the schools to do? For most of these kids (and their parents), they don't care what punishment is enforced. And honestly, why should my kid suffer having to deal with these kids at school when most of them don't even want to be there. My kid actually wants to learn unlike them.


You should care for multiple reasons. These kids are part of our community and having kids mature into adults with no marketable skills is not good for anyone. Also, kids being absent a lot puts more stress on teachers because there is pressure to help these kids make up lost learning so these teachers are less available for your kid. Finally, teachers are under a lot of pressure to pass these kids which ultimately devalues the MCPS HS diploma


Tell me what "we" the parents of kids who care about school, should do to help make the kids who are chronically absent go to school. Like I said, all I can do is worry about my child; and really, as someone with a kid in ES, MS, and HS, I can tell you that teachers are not stressed out about absent kids. All they do (or can do) is give them a barely passing grade. This is hurting the chronically absent kids more than anyone. At some point, people need to take accountability for their OWN actions; and sorry but someone with no marketable skills isn't going to impact me or my child; now or in the future. We might not even be living here once my kid graduates high school.


Teachers are stressed out by chronic absenteeism. I know because I am a HS teacher. I have kids pop back into class the last couple weeks of the quarter and beg to make up enough work to pass or even get a C. There is a lot of pressure from counselors and administrators to help these kids pass. It is exhausting and frustrating and seems unfair to other students who come every day but might still have a C or D.


Yes! I'm so tired of my kids teachers being chronically absent!


I know it's funny. At my kids schools their teachers are out far more than any students.


I think many of the teachers at my kid's school are out at least once a week too. So they're absent about 20% of the time.


We had two teachers in MS out at least twice a week. Really bad year.


In my experience the teachers are also absent more than any kids I know.


Here, folks, is the lazy parent in its natural habitat. Every single post about kids doing something wrong becomes “NEENER NEENER — teachers do it worse!!!”

Grow so very much up.


I'm a DP, but am curious. If it's not important for teachers to have regular attendance, why should it be important for kids?

Of course, the answer is that it's important for both, but people like you won't admit that.


Next time you take off work to schedule something to take care of yourself, ask yourself isn’t it important that you’re at work? Shouldn’t you probably cancel? No adult does that. Teachers are adults. Time people like you realized that.
Anonymous
Unless the teachers shut down their assignments in MyMCPS, it is easy for students to speed run the assignments. I have multiple students who only came to class
few times each quarter. Keeping tracking of late submissions can be very cumbersome due to all the different reasons kids might be turning things in late, so it is often easier not to take point off at all for lateness. My personal strategy is to not take off late points, but to not to accept assignments due before interims. I also dont take late assignments the last week of the semester. Students still try to run me down to turn in or retake assignments due over a month ago. I am tempted to hide in my room during lunch with the lights off...
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Mcps sucks at supporting teachers. The principals force us to inflate the grades with the threat of being nonrenewed. If you are less than 3 years in they make you do extra overtime and then fire away bc they know you will do anything to keep your job. PAR scumbags need to bully teachers around to show they have the unsupported and punitive additive to become a principal

You know, if you were halfway competent at being a teacher, your admin would have had your back. They're struggling to find halfway competent teachers.

Sucks to be you.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I don't believe school districts are responsible to ensure kids attend school. That is a parenting issue. I'm sorry, but why waste money on some kind of plan? Parents can send their kids or not.


Yes, agree with this. Why should schools care at this point. Honestly, the ones who are chronically absent are probably the ones who are causing problems at the school so the more they're absent, the better.


Not really, cause then they're out in the community pushing drugs, robbing stores or carjacking.

Keeping kids in school is a public safety and community wellbeing issue and we all should care about it. This selfish mindset is why we're in the mess that we're in right now.


What do you expect the schools to do? For most of these kids (and their parents), they don't care what punishment is enforced. And honestly, why should my kid suffer having to deal with these kids at school when most of them don't even want to be there. My kid actually wants to learn unlike them.


You should care for multiple reasons. These kids are part of our community and having kids mature into adults with no marketable skills is not good for anyone. Also, kids being absent a lot puts more stress on teachers because there is pressure to help these kids make up lost learning so these teachers are less available for your kid. Finally, teachers are under a lot of pressure to pass these kids which ultimately devalues the MCPS HS diploma


Tell me what "we" the parents of kids who care about school, should do to help make the kids who are chronically absent go to school. Like I said, all I can do is worry about my child; and really, as someone with a kid in ES, MS, and HS, I can tell you that teachers are not stressed out about absent kids. All they do (or can do) is give them a barely passing grade. This is hurting the chronically absent kids more than anyone. At some point, people need to take accountability for their OWN actions; and sorry but someone with no marketable skills isn't going to impact me or my child; now or in the future. We might not even be living here once my kid graduates high school.


Teachers are stressed out by chronic absenteeism. I know because I am a HS teacher. I have kids pop back into class the last couple weeks of the quarter and beg to make up enough work to pass or even get a C. There is a lot of pressure from counselors and administrators to help these kids pass. It is exhausting and frustrating and seems unfair to other students who come every day but might still have a C or D.


Yes! I'm so tired of my kids teachers being chronically absent!


I know it's funny. At my kids schools their teachers are out far more than any students.


I think many of the teachers at my kid's school are out at least once a week too. So they're absent about 20% of the time.


We had two teachers in MS out at least twice a week. Really bad year.


In my experience the teachers are also absent more than any kids I know.


Here, folks, is the lazy parent in its natural habitat. Every single post about kids doing something wrong becomes “NEENER NEENER — teachers do it worse!!!”

Grow so very much up.


I'm a DP, but am curious. If it's not important for teachers to have regular attendance, why should it be important for kids?

Of course, the answer is that it's important for both, but people like you won't admit that.

Teachers do get leave time. They also get sucked into IEP meetings and other stuff keeping them out of classrooms.
Anonymous
Chronic student absenteeism and the lack of a MCPS response is the purpose of this thread. If you want to start a different thread regarding teacher absenteeism then please have at it. However, just like any employer, MCPS has to honor legitimate reasons for teachers are absent. As a PP pointed out, just because a teacher is not in the classroom doesn’t mean they are not performing another job duty for MCPS.

Likewise, students are allowed excused absences. Doctor appointment or dental appointments would classify as an excused absence and would require a parental or provider note.

For students who are considered chronically absent, is there data on the percentage of excused absences vs. not excused? How many students are considered to be habitually truant?

Any word on when MCPS hopes to have a plan for addressing this problem?
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The absences (excused) add up quickly for the dentist, the orthodontist and a visit to the pediatrician. Why the orthodontist isn’t open in the afternoons, I do not know. Same for dentist. The providers could be more helpful - especially when your kid needs to have a regular appointment.


Yeah, that's a shift that most of healthcare doesn't want to make. Probably because doctors have families too and don't want to be working from 3-10 pm.


Many dental offices (especially orthodontists) have office hours beginning at 7am. Some general dentists have Saturday hours. With all the MCPS half days and holidays, there’s opportunities to schedule appointments without missing class time.


Have you every tried to book a doctor's or dentist appointment on a half day or holiday? They get booked out weeks or months in advance. There's not enough of them to make that the go-to solution.


I knew this excuse was coming. Yes, dear, we know that. That’s why you look at the calendar you get months before the school year even starts, plan ahead and make your regular appointments “weeks or months in advance.” If your ped doesn’t have same day work-ins for sick visits, get a new one or go to urgent care. Done.


Newsflash - not all of us have jobs that allow us to take off at any time, even when medical appointments are scheduled months or weeks in advance. Things come up that necessitate rescheduling time out of the office. I guess perfect people like you don't have that, but some of us have less flexible work arrangements.


More excuses. Yawn. You’re a parent, just like all the rest of us. Suck it up and plan accordingly.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The absences (excused) add up quickly for the dentist, the orthodontist and a visit to the pediatrician. Why the orthodontist isn’t open in the afternoons, I do not know. Same for dentist. The providers could be more helpful - especially when your kid needs to have a regular appointment.


Yeah, that's a shift that most of healthcare doesn't want to make. Probably because doctors have families too and don't want to be working from 3-10 pm.


Many dental offices (especially orthodontists) have office hours beginning at 7am. Some general dentists have Saturday hours. With all the MCPS half days and holidays, there’s opportunities to schedule appointments without missing class time.


Have you every tried to book a doctor's or dentist appointment on a half day or holiday? They get booked out weeks or months in advance. There's not enough of them to make that the go-to solution.


I knew this excuse was coming. Yes, dear, we know that. That’s why you look at the calendar you get months before the school year even starts, plan ahead and make your regular appointments “weeks or months in advance.” If your ped doesn’t have same day work-ins for sick visits, get a new one or go to urgent care. Done.


DP. I hope you aren't a teacher because... Wow. Use your brain. This is not a solution to absenteeism (I'll give you a hint, people booking up the appointments months in advance does not increase the supply of those appointments)




PP sounds crazy.


You both sound like lazy, incompetent parents. Shrug.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The absences (excused) add up quickly for the dentist, the orthodontist and a visit to the pediatrician. Why the orthodontist isn’t open in the afternoons, I do not know. Same for dentist. The providers could be more helpful - especially when your kid needs to have a regular appointment.


Yeah, that's a shift that most of healthcare doesn't want to make. Probably because doctors have families too and don't want to be working from 3-10 pm.


Many dental offices (especially orthodontists) have office hours beginning at 7am. Some general dentists have Saturday hours. With all the MCPS half days and holidays, there’s opportunities to schedule appointments without missing class time.


Have you every tried to book a doctor's or dentist appointment on a half day or holiday? They get booked out weeks or months in advance. There's not enough of them to make that the go-to solution.


I knew this excuse was coming. Yes, dear, we know that. That’s why you look at the calendar you get months before the school year even starts, plan ahead and make your regular appointments “weeks or months in advance.” If your ped doesn’t have same day work-ins for sick visits, get a new one or go to urgent care. Done.


Right. Also, barring an unusual situation, most kids need one annual checkup and 2 teeth cleanings per calendar year. You could schedule it so the annual checkup and one of those cleanings is over the summer, so only one teeth cleaning falls during the school year.

I understand things like orthodontics might require more frequent appointments, but generally speaking doctor and dentist visits really aren’t that frequent for most kids.


Lol so kids don’t get sick or injured and require doctors visits outside of the annual physical? Are you insane? And do you think doctors can cram all of their physicals into the summer?

Are you even a parent because only a non-parent could think like this.


This has been covered. Go back and reread the thread, for comprehension this time.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The absences (excused) add up quickly for the dentist, the orthodontist and a visit to the pediatrician. Why the orthodontist isn’t open in the afternoons, I do not know. Same for dentist. The providers could be more helpful - especially when your kid needs to have a regular appointment.


Yeah, that's a shift that most of healthcare doesn't want to make. Probably because doctors have families too and don't want to be working from 3-10 pm.


Many dental offices (especially orthodontists) have office hours beginning at 7am. Some general dentists have Saturday hours. With all the MCPS half days and holidays, there’s opportunities to schedule appointments without missing class time.


Have you every tried to book a doctor's or dentist appointment on a half day or holiday? They get booked out weeks or months in advance. There's not enough of them to make that the go-to solution.


I knew this excuse was coming. Yes, dear, we know that. That’s why you look at the calendar you get months before the school year even starts, plan ahead and make your regular appointments “weeks or months in advance.” If your ped doesn’t have same day work-ins for sick visits, get a new one or go to urgent care. Done.


DP. I hope you aren't a teacher because... Wow. Use your brain. This is not a solution to absenteeism (I'll give you a hint, people booking up the appointments months in advance does not increase the supply of those appointments)




PP sounds crazy.


You both sound like lazy, incompetent parents. Shrug.


You set such a high standard, spending your free time insulting strangers online with irrational arguments. Why even try to compete with that?
Anonymous
I did not read all the posts but if your kid is a Senior with most mandatory credits and is checked out; they can take an abbreviated schedule. My DD only had classes before noon then went to a job every afternoon.

She also took a once a week, self-paced online Pathways to graduation.

This was a great option instead of skipping classes.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:I have bones to pick with MCPS, but absenteism is not it. It's very hard to get students into school who do not want to be there, because if you enforce punitive measures, all it does is push them further away, and you're left with dropouts who hold up stores in broad daylight and deal drugs.

However, MCPS and all other schools in the nation should put pressure on state legislatures to force them to discipline students who are violent, verbally and physically (with special plans for those with disabilities). Regular students cannot learn in disruptive environments, and teachers an staff currently have no power to punish students for assaulting them, or other students.

Likewise, MCPS has had sexual and other assaults in many of its schools, even elementary schools, and it has been demonstrated that in certain instances it did not comply with standards of reporting to police. I am thinking about the Damascus rape case specifically, but I'm sure there are others.

If your child reports an assault at school, call 911 immediately. Do not wait for the school to cover it up.



Important advice here. ^^^
Anonymous
My daughter just graduated from MCPS, and hardly went to school. her pediatrician even understood why she did not want to be in that environment, with drugs, verbal assaults , requests to sext etc ......she basicaly taught herself. She refused to return to private school.

MCPS did nothing ! Other than the daily call from a robot telling me my kid was absent, yes, I already knew ......no attendance plan, no calls from the grade chair, absolutely nothing. And passed.

The decline in MCPS is staggering.
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