Gary K. Clabaugh
Emeritus Professor of Education, La Salle University
According
to the Education Department's new Civil Rights
Data Collection about 13 percent of all U.S. students — more
than 6 million—missed at least 15 days of school in the 2013-14 school
year. The survey includes a variety of often-neglected reasons including
excused or unexcused absences, truancy, suspensions, illness, or family issues.
Utilizing
this new data the Associated Press found that "of the 100 largest school
districts by enrollment, the Detroit City School District had the highest rate of chronic absenteeism. Nearly 58
percent of students were chronically absent in the 2013-2014 school year."
Numerous other big city districts, such as Philadelphia and Baltimore, were
close behind.
Secretary
of Education John King says that, "Chronic
absenteeism is a national problem. He then emphasizes the obvious, namely
that, “Frequent absences from school can
be devastating to a child's education. Missing school leads to low
academic achievement and triggers drop-outs. Millions of young people are
missing opportunities in postsecondary education, good careers and a chance to
experience the American dream."
Predictably
the Secretary wants educators to address the “root cause of this problem.” But the
root cause is neither schools nor education. Anyone with an IQ above room
temperature knows youngsters are chronically absent in such prodigious numbers because
they are hungry, sick, scared, angry, alienated, indifferent or think they
have no future worth worrying about. So how, pray tell, are educators supposed
to deal with all of this?
Brown points to the “American dream”
without recognizing the all too real American nightmare. What is that? Dysfunctional
family life, deteriorated neighborhoods, below poverty level wages, chronic
under or unemployment, drug addiction, alcoholism, fatherless families, the
disappearance of manufacturing jobs, the massively unfair distribution of our
national wealth, and politicians who are bought and paid for.
Secretary
Brown’s solemn hogwash is just one more example of the disingenuous bullshit we have
come to expect from federal officials. Consider their latest intrusion into
public education, the inanely named Every Student Succeeds Act. Every student
will succeed when pigs fly! These fools and charlatans should spare us their silly
posturing and get serious for a change.
See "Solemnity and Seriousness," newfoundations.com
See "Solemnity and Seriousness," newfoundations.com
