by Hans D. Lassiter, CEO
Irvington Community School Corporation
hlassiter@ics-charter.org
Irvington Community Schools, Inc., 5751 E University Ave Indianapolis, IN 46219
317-357-3770 / 317-357-3786 (fax)
www.ics-charter.org
How many of you remember when we were in school and every day, & in every class, our teachers stood in front of the class & called out our names & we dutifully answered with an excited “Here!” More times than not, everyone who was supposed to be “there” in our classes was. But then there were those who, for some reason or another, were not. They missed class. They missed school. A lot. As you reflect on those school years, visiting a class reunion or bumping into them during a run to the grocery store, whatever became of your classmates who did not answer with that cheerful “Here?” According to the statistics, chronic absenteeism may have cost more than being awarded with that perfect attendance certificate at the end of the year on Awards Day!
When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down schools, students & families were urged to stay home for extended periods of time to avoid a potentially deadly virus. The impact on school attendance has been devastating, as 14.7 million students were chronically absent — defined as missing 15 days of school or more-across school districts nationwide in 2022. That is 1 of 3 students and, as the adage goes, “the learner cannot learn when the learner is not in school!” What then is going on that is causing students nationwide, in Marion County in particular, to miss school so much?
As a parent & grandparent, I can readily say that I was “guilty.” I was one of those fathers who, whenever my children coughed too deeply or loudly, or their forehead was hot enough to fry an egg, they stayed home with my wife or me, and off to the pediatrician they went! Instances such as those are classified & categorized as “excused absences,” and no one faults parents & families for putting their child’s health (& the health of others) first. Make up work can be assigned, and tests can be made up. What we are facing as educators and business leaders & employers is the absence that falls outside of personal illness. We are facing a pandemic of students who are simply “laying out of school” & we are struggling to figure out WHY!
I am fortunate to work alongside some of the most caring & resolute educators in & around Marion County, particularly those within the school corporation in which I serve — The Irvington Community School Corporation. Each time we convene as a leadership team, we discuss the issue of student non-attendance and banter about the reasons why. Listed here are some of the reasons why our students — your children — are missing school. I challenge you, the reader to reflect & engage in conversations with your children, friends, neighbors, and associates to delve deeper into these problems causing poor student attendance:
• Barriers to consistent & prompt arrival to school: Issues such as transportation problems, housing & food insecurity, family responsibilities or home situations, & family trauma.
• Aversion to going to school: Struggling academically or behaviorally or both, an unwelcoming school climate, biased disciplinary & suspension procedures and, closely related, the parents/family had negative educational experiences themselves, and as such, going into the school as an unsuccessful student themselves is akin to a victim of a violent crime returning to the crime scene to relive the experience all over again.
• Student disengagement: Lack of challenging, culturally-responsive instruction, BOREDOM, lack of course opportunities that appeal to the student, a lack of readily-available academic & behavioral supports, and the need for the student to work a job as a means to contribute to household expenses, closely related to the “barriers” cause.
I had the opportunity to attend a Central Indiana Superintendent’s Summit last year in Lebanon, Indiana and had the pleasure of listening to a panel of students representing various grades and ethnicities. What intrigued, & excited me the most were the resonant themes of:
• “Teach me something that I like, or which excites me!”
• “Expose me to information that I can use to help me in a career!”
• “Please do not stand in front of the class & lecture us. INVOLVE US!”
• “When I ask for help, please do not chastise me & say that I should understand this by now. If I did, I would not have to ask for help.”
• “Please do not assume that if I do not have a pencil or if I fall asleep in class it is because I do not care about my education or that I am lazy. Maybe I had to stay up late with my younger siblings until my mom got off from work at 3 in the morning. You would know this if you took the time to forge a relationship with me.”
When I returned to Irvington, I was on fire! I met with our principals & instructional staff and together, we crafted opportunities for our students to have those resonant themes the Lebanon School Corporation students spoke of, namely our collaboration & partnership with the Metropolitan School District of Warren Township’s Walker Career Center and our newly-minted Early College at Irvington Preparatory Academy, also known as “CAW,” or College Access Workshop (nice play on the Raven’s caw, isn’t it?).
Not to be outdone, our elementary & middle school administrators & faculty have redesigned how they approach instructional practices, student engagement strategies, & communication strategies with parents! Each school has also adopted Kagan Cooperative Learning strategies, or student-led collaborative learning exercises, experiences, & strategies that lend themselves to the development of teamwork, the fulfillment of assigned roles & responsibilities, & shared accountability of all involved toward the fulfillment & success of the task at hand-all key elements & attributes that the learner can & will carry into adulthood as a valuable & marketable skill!
We may not have all the answers to the riddle of how to get kids to come to school on time every day, but I can say that our team is trying! Do you have any suggestions? If so, I/we would welcome your input because we are all in this together. The children of Marion County are worth the conversation!