Education Week posted a poll on Facebook regarding student
absenteeism. The post does’t ask whether it should be a crime to
miss school or whether compulsory schooling violates the rights
of parents to raise their own children. It doesn’t ask whether
the implementation of truancy laws has anything to do with the
allocation of funds that schools get based upon the number of
students present. It doesn’t ask any questions beyond “What can
be done to fix absenteeism in school?” Pernille Ripp rightly
points out that the key answer missing from the options involve
motivation. Why isn’t there an option involving engaging,
student-centered, meaningful curriculum? Why are the solutions
all about combatting the behaviors of absenteeism while ignoring
the causes? In my district, the causes of absenteeism are more
complicated than anything Education Week has pointed out. Within
the context of the Maryvale community (a low-SES enclave of
Phoenix), absenteeism is rooted in larger, systemic injustice
that goes beyond simply