Reply to New VA school rating system in 2025-2026 SY

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[quote=Anonymous]Here’s my rep Mateo Dunne coming right out and saying that they’re going to be annoying pains in the ass about attendance this year because of the new state regs. This was the literal opening of his most recent newsletter. Gird your loins, folks!

School Attendance

We are fortunate to live in a time and place where the Constitution requires the State to provide “a system of free public elementary and secondary schools for all children of school age” and “ensure that an educational program of high quality is established and continually maintained.” Fairfax County Public Schools is an exemplar of public education, but each child’s educational attainment and ability to realize their potential is contingent on regular school attendance.

During the pandemic, our children lost the habit of attending school every day. Chronic absenteeism—defined as missing 18+ days (or 2 days per month) in the school year—nearly doubled compared to pre-pandemic levels. This is a universal phenomenon, affecting students at all income levels in every region of the country. It is also highly destructive. Chronic absenteeism has been linked to reduced student achievement, social disengagement, and feelings of alienation because students miss out on opportunities to learn, to build friendships, to get involved in their school communities, and to pursue their interests.

There is no grade level at which school attendance should be considered optional. For example, students who are chronically absent in Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and 1st Grade fall behind in learning to read. At every age level, chronic absenteeism can make it difficult for students to keep up with the pace of learning. Once students fall behind, it can be hard for them to catch up, especially if they have limited resources. If we learned anything from the pandemic, there is no substitute for being in the classroom.

Virginia is in the process of enacting school accreditation standards that will penalize schools with higher chronic absenteeism rates. FCPS is going above and beyond to ensure students attend school every day, but it is imperative that we work together as a community to reduce absenteeism and ensure every child receives a world-class education.  [/quote]

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