Chicago School Board Urged to Engage Families to Combat Absenteeism
Chicago is preparing to elect its first fully representative school board, a move aimed at increasing community involvement and accountability. The city faces significant challenges, including high rates of chronic absenteeism, with about 40% of students missing 10% or more of school days. This rate is notably higher than both state and national averages. Experts like Arne Duncan, former CEO of Chicago Public Schools, and Bibb Hubbard, founder of Learning Heroes, emphasize the importance of integrating families into the educational process. They argue that strong family-school connections can significantly improve student attendance and academic outcomes. A study by Learning Heroes and The New Teacher Project supports this, showing that schools with effective family engagement had better attendance and academic performance post-pandemic. 
