Chronic Absenteeism Was 23% in 2022

[Anonymous]

So true PP. So many parents just tell us to leave them alone. They want babysitting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s an enormous problem nationally, and tends to correlate with income. So the poor get further and further behind. And teachers can’t help them if they’re not there.

And this is the problem with MCPS's obsession with closing the gap. I fully support funding poorer schools a little more to help them out, but at some point we're just throwing money at kids and families who don't care. This robs the kids who do care of the education they deserve.

I think all parents care. Some are busy working three jobs and may not realize the negative effects of absenteeism.

I also disagree with this. Some people have no interest in parenting their kids.

Other parents who “say they care” are doing a HORRIBLE job. I literally had a parent tell me today that he can’t make the child go to school. The child goes to different places to hangout during the day in public places. Like, um excuse me?? We need to bring back truancy court and fine parents for allowing kids to do this (and I am NOT talking about excused absences—that’s entirely different).

Also, where are all the police officers who are in the community? Don’t they see kids skipping? America’s attitude on education is so laughable. Other countries would never tolerate this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s an enormous problem nationally, and tends to correlate with income. So the poor get further and further behind. And teachers can’t help them if they’re not there.

And this is the problem with MCPS's obsession with closing the gap. I fully support funding poorer schools a little more to help them out, but at some point we're just throwing money at kids and families who don't care. This robs the kids who do care of the education they deserve.

I think all parents care. Some are busy working three jobs and may not realize the negative effects of absenteeism.

I also disagree with this. Some people have no interest in parenting their kids.

Other parents who “say they care” are doing a HORRIBLE job. I literally had a parent tell me today that he can’t make the child go to school. The child goes to different places to hangout during the day in public places. Like, um excuse me?? We need to bring back truancy court and fine parents for allowing kids to do this (and I am NOT talking about excused absences—that’s entirely different).

Also, where are all the police officers who are in the community? Don’t they see kids skipping? America’s attitude on education is so laughable. Other countries would never tolerate this.

Spoken like someone who's never parented a difficult child.
Mcps spends a good deal of time teaching kids from elementary age that they should call the police if their parents are mean to them and then you want them to turn around and call the police on the parent for not forcing their student to go to school.?
This is a problem with society tying parents hands and telling them how to parent instead of budding out and allowing parents to do their jobs.
If that father was allowed to use corporal punishment even once, his kid would be where he's supposed to be.
Society took away that which worked for hundreds of generations and replaced it with zip.
These are the consequences.
And yeah I know people with compliant children don't understand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not in MoCo but I am suspicious of absenteeism counts since our local school counts a kid who is late (even 5 minutes) as absent. I know because I get a call when my kid is late- for doctors appointments or just a late morning.
There was also a LOT of illness in my kids class. One kid we know got COVID, flu x2, strep, then a secondary infection that resolved and then rebounded. All in 4 months or so?
My own son was out for COVID for 6 days and that was before 80 days of school and he had been sick 2-3 days total earlier in the year.

I wonder about this too. My kids at WJ are frequently reported as absent when I know they were in school at every class. They might have been late to class or the teacher messed up taking attendance. Sometimes I fill out an attendance form so it is excused and sometimes I forget to.

[Anonymous]

Corporal punishment is still allowed as long as it doesn’t leave visible marks. That’s what CPS told me.

- a teacher

[Anonymous]

A few years ago Maryland decided kids couldn’t drop out of school until they were 18. So this is what we get instead. It’s like “quiet quitting.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Corporal punishment is still allowed as long as it doesn’t leave visible marks. That’s what CPS told me.

- a teacher

Caning the feet works best. No bruises. Also kneeling on concrete. Or cleaning the floor with a rag Cinderella style. /s

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A few years ago Maryland decided kids couldn’t drop out of school until they were 18. So this is what we get instead. It’s like “quiet quitting.”

Perhaps, but the statistics today are more that every kid has about ten days of absences baked into the year because of covid is still a thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s an enormous problem nationally, and tends to correlate with income. So the poor get further and further behind. And teachers can’t help them if they’re not there.

And this is the problem with MCPS's obsession with closing the gap. I fully support funding poorer schools a little more to help them out, but at some point we're just throwing money at kids and families who don't care. This robs the kids who do care of the education they deserve.

I think all parents care. Some are busy working three jobs and may not realize the negative effects of absenteeism.

I also disagree with this. Some people have no interest in parenting their kids.

Other parents who “say they care” are doing a HORRIBLE job. I literally had a parent tell me today that he can’t make the child go to school. The child goes to different places to hangout during the day in public places. Like, um excuse me?? We need to bring back truancy court and fine parents for allowing kids to do this (and I am NOT talking about excused absences—that’s entirely different).

Also, where are all the police officers who are in the community? Don’t they see kids skipping? America’s attitude on education is so laughable. Other countries would never tolerate this.

Spoken like someone who's never parented a difficult child.
Mcps spends a good deal of time teaching kids from elementary age that they should call the police if their parents are mean to them and then you want them to turn around and call the police on the parent for not forcing their student to go to school.?
This is a problem with society tying parents hands and telling them how to parent instead of budding out and allowing parents to do their jobs.
If that father was allowed to use corporal punishment even once, his kid would be where he's supposed to be.
Society took away that which worked for hundreds of generations and replaced it with zip.
These are the consequences.
And yeah I know people with compliant children don't understand.

LOL sure they do!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s an enormous problem nationally, and tends to correlate with income. So the poor get further and further behind. And teachers can’t help them if they’re not there.

And this is the problem with MCPS's obsession with closing the gap. I fully support funding poorer schools a little more to help them out, but at some point we're just throwing money at kids and families who don't care. This robs the kids who do care of the education they deserve.

I think all parents care. Some are busy working three jobs and may not realize the negative effects of absenteeism.

I also disagree with this. Some people have no interest in parenting their kids.

Other parents who “say they care” are doing a HORRIBLE job. I literally had a parent tell me today that he can’t make the child go to school. The child goes to different places to hangout during the day in public places. Like, um excuse me?? We need to bring back truancy court and fine parents for allowing kids to do this (and I am NOT talking about excused absences—that’s entirely different).

Also, where are all the police officers who are in the community? Don’t they see kids skipping? America’s attitude on education is so laughable. Other countries would never tolerate this.

Spoken like someone who's never parented a difficult child.
Mcps spends a good deal of time teaching kids from elementary age that they should call the police if their parents are mean to them and then you want them to turn around and call the police on the parent for not forcing their student to go to school.?
This is a problem with society tying parents hands and telling them how to parent instead of budding out and allowing parents to do their jobs.
If that father was allowed to use corporal punishment even once, his kid would be where he's supposed to be.
Society took away that which worked for hundreds of generations and replaced it with zip.
These are the consequences.
And yeah I know people with compliant children don't understand.

Yep. Just gotta beat some sense into 'em.

[Anonymous]

They think is funny that they never go to school...

[Anonymous]

I was talking with an old friend the other day and we have kids the same age. They said that their kid misses school a lot because they don't like it and they often miss the bus and are without a ride or way to get there. So they just...don't go. (And no DCUM, the parents don't make 400K and are not in a position to send an Uber to tote the kid to school or adjust their work and childcare schedules to be there to ensure this teen does what they are supposed to do.)

I was shocked but realized that this is the reality of a lot of families that are over stretched, under resourced, and wanting to avoid total implosion so they just kick the can of conflict down the road.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Chronic absenteeism soared after Covid.

The Maryland average went from 20% in 2018 to 31% in 2022.
Montgomery Country went from 17% in 2018 to 23% in 2022.

For comparison:

The Virginia average went from 11% in 2018 to 20% in 2022.
Fairfax Country went from 9% in 2018 to 15% in 2022.

The ongoing COVID pandemic has impacted attendance. I know my kids missed ten additional days this year because of COVID.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was talking with an old friend the other day and we have kids the same age. They said that their kid misses school a lot because they don't like it and they often miss the bus and are without a ride or way to get there. So they just...don't go. (And no DCUM, the parents don't make 400K and are not in a position to send an Uber to tote the kid to school or adjust their work and childcare schedules to be there to ensure this teen does what they are supposed to do.)

I was shocked but realized that this is the reality of a lot of families that are over stretched, under resourced, and wanting to avoid total implosion so they just kick the can of conflict down the road.

not make 400k, but if my daughter ever missed the bus I WILL take her to school, if she has to stay for something school I would call her an Uber. Uber are only like $10-15 to and from school. EVEN If they miss the school everyday
180 days is not that much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not in MoCo but I am suspicious of absenteeism counts since our local school counts a kid who is late (even 5 minutes) as absent. I know because I get a call when my kid is late- for doctors appointments or just a late morning.
There was also a LOT of illness in my kids class. One kid we know got COVID, flu x2, strep, then a secondary infection that resolved and then rebounded. All in 4 months or so?
My own son was out for COVID for 6 days and that was before 80 days of school and he had been sick 2-3 days total earlier in the year.

+ 1. First grade has been brutal. Kid missed close to 3 weeks of school total and all for illness. Covid, random lingering fevers - all after the Covid by the way, Covid was in the first month of the school year. We didn’t keep her out for ordinary colds. It was all legit illness.

Older kid didn’t get most of these bugs and missed only a couple days all year.