1/4th Of School Students Are "Chronically Absent"

In the four years since the pandemic closed schools, U.S. education has struggled to recover on a number of fronts, from learning loss, to enrollment, to student behavior.

But perhaps no issue has been as stubborn and pervasive as a sharp increase in student absenteeism, a problem that cuts across demographics and has continued long after schools reopened.

Nationally, an estimated 26% of public school students were considered chronically absent last school year, up from 15% before the pandemic, according to the most recent data, from 40 states and Washington, D.C., compiled by the conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute. Chronic absence is typically defined as missing at least 10% of the school year, or about 18 days, for any reason.

The absolute shock I had when I saw this graphic....I couldn't believe it. 

I was hoping it was some April Fools joke from the failing New York Times...but nope. It's real. 

I ended up posting a TikTok on this and there were countless teachers in the comments backing up the study with their first-hand accounts.

You will never find me licking the boot of the current education system....but 25% of kids are chronically absent? So that wouldn't even include the kids that are declared as home-schooled? What are the kids doing? Just chilling at home? I guess I don't blame them. I've heard school has been a disaster since COVID (not saying every teacher is this way, do not attack me).

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On that graphic from the NYT, the pre-covid chronically absent rate was 13-15%. I didn't know it was that high when I was in high school! 10% of my class was chronically absent? There was always one or two kids in each grade who had that rep…but 10%?!?!?

If you're wondering what the high school kids are doing instead:

15-20 on the ACT is brutality. Only place that's celebrated is if you're a 4/5-star football player. 

Is the next generation cooked….or am I just getting old? That's the question I have been pondering lately.