While potential solutions to the absenteeism crisis are varying and complex, perhaps the most basic is optimizing the way we get kids to and from school.
Seattle could close 20 elementary schools. Ohio's largest district also has its eye on middle and high school adjustments. But a Colorado district has halted its closure plans.
Denver Public Schools launched Acceleration Academies that pair students who are significantly below grade level with paraprofessionals who are receiving coaching and professional development.
Principal Natalie Page is leaning into the positives of leading a rural school despite the challenges that come with recruiting teachers and providing an expansive curriculum.
A new survey reveals that these leaders "nearly universally experience gender-based bias that impacts their ability to do their job, how they feel about their work, and their overall well-being."
Superintendents and school boards are solidifying their spending plans as ESSER expires and other financial pressures mount, says Marguerite Roza, director of the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University.
Students aren't the only ones struggling. School staff face increased pressure to support the rising number of students in need of help—at a time when educators themselves are at a breaking point.
"Teaching talent exists—it just tends to seek more autonomy, greater flexibility, and higher pay than the typical school provides," warns a report from a leading employment website.
