New Software Program to Tackle ‘Chronic Absenteeism’ in Atlanta Public Schools
ATLANTA, Ga. (Here News) – Right now, when an Atlanta Public Schools’ (APS) student skips or misses school, parents receive a digital notification. Last year, a lot of moms and dads got those texts and emails. According to the Georgia Department of Education, about 36% of APS students were considered “chronically absent” last year. This means they were absent at least 10% or more of total days enrolled. The Atlanta school board is working to shrink that statistic.
Addressing the Issue
“Attendance is out of control. So, any kind of intervention, I’m very interested in learning more,” Ken Zeff, a school board member, said. Recently, the Atlanta school board passed a plan to pay a new company $285,000 a year to notify parents electronically when students are absent. The new system also goes a step further and connects families with resources like transportation and meals that may help get a child back in the classroom.
“I believe that will benefit some parents,” APS mom Candace Moore said. “Kids do skip school. So, it’s good to know.”
Opposing Views
But not everyone is on the same page. During Tuesday’s school board meeting, school board member Alfred Shivy Brooks spoke out against the new software saying it seems unnecessary and too similar to what the district is already using. He noted that a lack of resources isn’t always the cause for “chronic absenteeism.”
“It is more of a diagnostic tool, not an intervention. So, my ask is, is this item a replication of something that we already have,” Brooks said. “The big issue with our students is they need to be motivated to come to school.”
Conclusion
The implementation of this new software program aims to tackle the challenge of chronic absenteeism in Atlanta Public Schools. As the school board takes proactive steps to address this issue, debates regarding the effectiveness and necessity of the program continue within the educational community.