Chronic Absenteeism Was 23% in 2022

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Chronic absenteeism soared after Covid.
Montgomery Country went from 17% in 2018 to 23% in 2022.
Fairfax Country went from 9% in 2018 to 15% in 2022.

It's interesting that both MCPS and FCPS went up 6%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Elephant in the room - it's covid, guys. Kids are sick more often, and for longer. Study after study is showing us that covid impacts the immune system.

The sooner we acknowledge that, the sooner we can adjust to this "new normal" and hopefully do something about it

This is not what's keeping so many kids out of school so much. COVID isn't magically affecting only low SES students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Interestingly, both MCPS and FCPS went up precisely 6% after COVID.

They each went up 6 percentage points, not 6 percent. The percentage is much higher. For MCPS it is 35% (6/17=35%)

+1

and people ask why do i need algebra, I never use it in my job...and yet they think there using math to make a point, like...see nothing different about MCPS sigh

We are lucky that you don't use math for your job, given your weak grasp of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Interesting. My son's 2nd qtr report card had notes blaming his lower than usual grades on his "excess absences". At the time, I didn't really think about it, other than, yes, he has been sick 2x this quarter. Then, late in the 3rd qtr, we received a notice that our son was nearing the 10% allowed absences this year. That email really made me sit back and ponder what was going on. He'd been sick 4x this year, and each time with a lingering cough. No fever, just a really gross sounding cough. In prior years we'd have likely sent him back to school, armed with cough drops, after a 2-3 day absence. Since covid though, 3x they were 5 day absences (one lasting over the weekend, even). Either his immune system is weakened, or more likely we are more sensitive to sending him to school "sick".

I will admit, in prior years we were more diligent about making up missed homework, but his 7th grade year has so much work as it is, my last priority is making up work - which resulted in a few zeros.

Was he at home so sick that he couldn’t have asked a friend to send notes, or seen if anything was posted from the class on Canvas? Could he have reached out to the teacher letting them know what was going on and asked if there was anything he could do while at home sick and not trying to expose others?

Definitely when he felt well, he/we did. Our school stopped using any type of online posting of work or notes last year. But his lower grades wasn't really my main point, since this is about absenteeism. Maybe other people are also tacking on 2-3 days to a sickness now because of lingering symptoms that wouldn't have been as glaring or side-eye worthy in the past.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Interesting. My son's 2nd qtr report card had notes blaming his lower than usual grades on his "excess absences". At the time, I didn't really think about it, other than, yes, he has been sick 2x this quarter. Then, late in the 3rd qtr, we received a notice that our son was nearing the 10% allowed absences this year. That email really made me sit back and ponder what was going on. He'd been sick 4x this year, and each time with a lingering cough. No fever, just a really gross sounding cough. In prior years we'd have likely sent him back to school, armed with cough drops, after a 2-3 day absence. Since covid though, 3x they were 5 day absences (one lasting over the weekend, even). Either his immune system is weakened, or more likely we are more sensitive to sending him to school "sick".

I will admit, in prior years we were more diligent about making up missed homework, but his 7th grade year has so much work as it is, my last priority is making up work - which resulted in a few zeros.

Was he at home so sick that he couldn’t have asked a friend to send notes, or seen if anything was posted from the class on Canvas? Could he have reached out to the teacher letting them know what was going on and asked if there was anything he could do while at home sick and not trying to expose others?

Definitely when he felt well, he/we did. Our school stopped using any type of online posting of work or notes last year. But his lower grades wasn't really my main point, since this is about absenteeism. Maybe other people are also tacking on 2-3 days to a sickness now because of lingering symptoms that wouldn't have been as glaring or side-eye worthy in the past.

NP. The bolded is definitely part of the reason for increased absenteeism, but there are many other factors as well. When it comes to absences for illness, there have always been conflicting messages. These are even more prevalent now. Every time there is a discussion about teacher absences, plenty of parents and teachers chime in to chastise parents for not keeping their sick kids home. At the same time, there is increasing emphasis on reducing chronic absences. I'm an adult in my second week of a bad cold with an annoying lingering cough and runny nose. While I have the ability to work from home, if I were a student, I would be well on my way to being chronically absent from school if I followed the demands of the stay home if you have symptoms crowd.

[Anonymous]

Chronically absent kids are absent 18 days or more. Let’s be real. Most kids who are chronically absent aren’t absent because they are sick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Elephant in the room - it's covid, guys. Kids are sick more often, and for longer. Study after study is showing us that covid impacts the immune system.

The sooner we acknowledge that, the sooner we can adjust to this "new normal" and hopefully do something about it

The above has been the case for us at least. My kid has been absent 12x this year so far, most recently 5 days for covid.

[Anonymous]

We need to merge these threads with all the ones asking if their two week trip to Europe is excused.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We need to merge these threads with all the ones asking if their two week trip to Europe is excused.

Of course, it's excused! How dare they tell us taxpayers what to do! They work for us!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Chronically absent kids are absent 18 days or more. Let’s be real. Most kids who are chronically absent aren’t absent because they are sick.

These days many kids miss out on school more frequently than in the past because they are sick with COVID. You can't just send them to school to infect all the other kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Chronically absent kids are absent 18 days or more. Let’s be real. Most kids who are chronically absent aren’t absent because they are sick.

These days many kids miss out on school more frequently than in the past because they are sick with COVID. You can't just send them to school to infect all the other kids.

Number one, COVID is one of many viruses in circulation. There's no evidence the increase in chronic absenteeism is related to a corresponding increase in COVID infections.

Furthermore, the isolation protocols for those who are sick with COVID have been updated for some time. There is no need to stay away from school for 5 days by default. It is now driven by the severity of the symptoms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The schools that were remote longer have higher absentee rates now. Kids and parents came to see going to school as optional.

This is a parenting issue. Parents need to be held accountable.

In Maryland thanks to court cases, schools can't hold parents accountable for student attendance anymore. The state does require a student to be disenrolled of they are absent for 10 school days in a row. But the parent can just reenroll again.

Which court cases would those be? What law(s) were cited?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Chronically absent kids are absent 18 days or more. Let’s be real. Most kids who are chronically absent aren’t absent because they are sick.

These days many kids miss out on school more frequently than in the past because they are sick with COVID. You can't just send them to school to infect all the other kids.

Number one, COVID is one of many viruses in circulation. There's no evidence the increase in chronic absenteeism is related to a corresponding increase in COVID infections.

Furthermore, the isolation protocols for those who are sick with COVID have been updated for some time. There is no need to stay away from school for 5 days by default. It is now driven by the severity of the symptoms.

Yes, there's no evidence that suggests this doesn't correspond with the increase in infections like COVID either. It just stands to reason. My kids have missed around 10 days this year because of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Elephant in the room - it's covid, guys. Kids are sick more often, and for longer. Study after study is showing us that covid impacts the immune system.

The sooner we acknowledge that, the sooner we can adjust to this "new normal" and hopefully do something about it

Makes sense!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Chronically absent kids are absent 18 days or more. Let’s be real. Most kids who are chronically absent aren’t absent because they are sick.

These days many kids miss out on school more frequently than in the past because they are sick with COVID. You can't just send them to school to infect all the other kids.

Number one, COVID is one of many viruses in circulation. There's no evidence the increase in chronic absenteeism is related to a corresponding increase in COVID infections.

Furthermore, the isolation protocols for those who are sick with COVID have been updated for some time. There is no need to stay away from school for 5 days by default. It is now driven by the severity of the symptoms.

Just before Spring break, MCPS sent out an email reminding people that it has not updated isolation protocol and that five days absence are mandatory. I'm sure lots of people have ignored that, but those who follow the rules or call the school to ask isolate at least 5 days. -DP