The California Attorney General recently issued a new report on truancy in the State’s schools. Inyo County was listed with a 5.7% rate and Mono County, 26.7%. Mono school and legal officials believe that figure is way too high.
Lois Klein, Superintendent of Mammoth Unified School District, called the State truancy figure for Mono County “very high.” She said sometimes as the State begins to collect data, there is not consistency in how it is entered. She said some of those listed may not be actual truancies. The definition of truancy is three or more unexcused absences from school in any given year.
Klein said that Mammoth schools are not way out of line with truancy. She said attendance is typically 90 to 94%. Asked about the School Attendance Review Board impact on truancy and absences, Superintendent Klein said, “I am very impressed with it. It is a real strength, and it represents how our community organizations work together.”
The Mono County Review Board includes representatives from Eastern Sierra Unified and Mammoth Unified School Districts, Public Health, Behavioral Health, Social Services, Probation, Sheriff, Police, and the District Attorney. Klein said these officials are all there to seriously support and improve attendance. She said Mammoth Schools will utilize that tool. Klein added that there is a lot of research that demonstrates being at school correlates with overall achievement.
Klein also said that the State is now collecting a lot of data on schools on things like discipline, attendance and staffing. She said instead of asking districts to manually report details, the State is pulling information out of computer systems. Klein pointed out that if information is not entered consistently, there is room for error. She called this an issue across the State. Klein said districts are wrestling with that because they have been cut back financially and at the same time asked to provide more accountability.
The District Attorney, head of the Attendance Review Board – Dr. Don Clark, and Mono County Superintendent of Schools – Stacey Adler, all said that the State truancy figure for Mono County is very high.
get the crack head parents off theyre butts and get the soon to be drop outs to school
There is some flexibility. If the board created an outside work experience program and the parents approved, the non conforming student could get credit for occupational training or internship programs. This way even if the student dropped out of school they would be able to make a living. *From #(7)… Read more »
First, the definition of truancy as three unexcused absences is weak. What if you live in a family that considers a once in a lifetime chance to go on a camping or hunting trip, go to see a traveling art exhibit, ballet or theatre, participate in a spiritual or religious… Read more »
I believe there is another factor – unexcused absences. Many, if not all, of the things you mentioned above are, with communication from parents, excused absences. They’re talking about no-shows with no communication.
BK
CA Educational Code 48205. (a) Notwithstanding Section 48200, a pupil shall be excused from school when the absence is: (1) Due to his or her illness. (2) Due to quarantine under the direction of a county or city health officer. (3) For the purpose of having medical, dental, optometrical, or… Read more »
It was embarrassing for me to go to school, I couldn’t keep up with the other kids academically. I think it may have been the divorce that threw me of balance yet I am not sure. Divorce and problems at home made me feel unwanted. Looking back I see myself… Read more »
Whops…
off balance
Whoops…
Off Balance, not of balance in above post.
Mongo, your life history is much like mine. But it took me a lot longer to find my self worth and eventually get through college. I had to start way back with high school math. I didn’t learn to write half way decent until much later. ‘ It’s easy for… Read more »
My savior was people believing in me and showing me the way with tasks I could do instead of forcing me to do tasks I couldn’t.
All of the comments on this thread were deleted? Why?
I didn’t delete anything.
Benett Kessler
This is a follow-up story to the first truancy story, so maybe you are not seeing comments on the first story.
BK