The alarm goes off early in the morning, and as a parent, you think to yourself, "I’m too tired to handle the struggle of waking my teenager up for school today. I’ll just let them stay home. What can it hurt if they miss one day?" The short answer is that absenteeism has long-reaching and harmful effects on your student academically. According to Attendance Works, "research shows that missing 10 percent of the school year, or about 18 days in most school districts, negatively affects a student’s academic performance. That’s just two days a month and that’s known as chronic absence" (Attendance Works, 2018).
Let’s break down everything your student misses by skipping just one day of school. First, your student loses valuable learning time. They give up time with high-quality instructors who are passionate about teaching and building positive relationships with their students. In one class period of a core subject (English, Math, Social Studies, Science, etc.), your student misses 60 minutes of instruction, collaboration, and learning. Over a full school day, that adds up to six hours of mastering concepts critical to their academic success.
Second, your student gains hours of make-up work, which they’ll have to complete at home. This time could have been spent with family, hanging out with friends, or pursuing personal interests. Additionally, they’re completing assignments without having received teacher instruction, leading to frustration and inefficiency. Imagine this: would you want your student to change the oil in your car without any knowledge of how to do it?
Lastly, one missed day of school, especially for teenagers, often turns into two days, then three. The arguments begin: "But you let me stay home before, why not today?" That first day may seem easier, but it can lead to long-term challenges and increased friction between you and your student. Setting a firm expectation that school attendance is non-negotiable is truly the path of least resistance in the long run.
If your student misses school today, they’ve lost the chance to learn how to find text evidence, solve quadratic equations, understand the Holocaust’s effects on society, prepare for a job interview, learn about heart health as a young adult, and grasp the environmental impact of hurricanes. They’ve missed six hours of gaining the skills they need for their future. And you’ve lost the battle for consistent school attendance.
So come on, mom, dad, or loved one. You can do it! Wake your student up, endure the grumbling and the slow-motion of their morning routine, and get them to school. Tell them to have a good day, knowing that you are a vital part of setting them up for success. Just get them here—we’ve got it from there.
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