Why are so many kids missing school?

There’s a glaring problem since schools reopened for in-person instruction post-pandemic — lots of kids are missing class.

The number of students in California absent for 10% or more of the school year has more than doubled since before the pandemic. Almost 2 million California students were chronically absent in 2021-22, the most recent year for which data is available.

What are the root causes of students missing school? And how are school districts addressing this problem? Hear from a parent, school leaders and researchers from around the state.

Guests:

• Hedy Chang, Founder and executive director, Attendance Works
• Tom O’Malley, Superintendent, Modoc Joint Unified School District
• Erica Peterson, Director of education and engagement, School Innovations and Achievement
• Ofelia Sofía Ryan, President of the Association of Pupil Services and Attendance Counselors, Los Angeles Unified School District
• Renee Slater, Mother and teacher, Rio Bravo-Greeley Union School District
• Betty Márquez Rosales, Reporter, EdSource

Read more from EdSource:

• California’s dramatic jump in chronically absent students part of a nationwide surge
• Watch the roundtable: Reaching kindergarten parents is key to addressing dramatic post-pandemic rise in chronic absenteeism, panel says

Education Beat is a weekly podcast hosted by EdSource’s Zaidee Stavely and produced by Coby McDonald.