Palo Alto Weekly, what is the demographic and chronic absenteeism data for Palo Alto Unified School District?
Inquiring Palo Alto residents would like to know.

Hi @Consider Your Options. Web Link

10.1%

Thanks so much for this informative, in-depth article. I feel really sorry for these kids. Is summer school available to help them catch up on what they’ve missed during the pandemic?

The pandemic-related school closures took place during the spring and autumn of 2020.

Today it is 2023. How can one overlook or disregard 3 years of schooling?

Schools have been open for some time now and COVID vaccinations readily available.

There is no excuse for having to play 'catch-up' at school unless one is either unprepared to handle the coursework or a slacker.

Besides, AI now makes it possible to learn subject matter without having to attend regular school.

Is this yet another Gen Z whiner topic?

We can be sympathetic to peoples’ struggles, but what works is to stand on one’s two feet and get going.
I am concerned that some parents in today’s day and age don’t take advantage of opportunities or they make poor choices. This perpetuates risky behaviors in some youth.
It’s good to understand rules, like for attendance, and at some point people need to be held accountable.
Reading, getting outside and getting exercise, thinking and planning ahead are great easy ideas to improve attitude, physical and mental health. Often life is not easy.

The rule in my home, as a child, was simple: No fever, go to school.

That said, I had a stay-at-home mom, safe schools I could walk or ride my bike to, and a father who made enough money to cover it all and still be home by dinner most of the time. It seems as if those days are gone. And quite frankly, those days may have never existed for many families who struggle to get their children to school.

I could be quite wrong, but maybe if schools offered more vocational education courses as well as the standard list of "college prep" courses, that may entice more students back into the fold. Vocational education could be updated to address current and future career opportunities that require a modicum of academic skills, and a larger portion of hands on and people skills. The idea that you must go to a top university or starve needs to be "re-imagined".

Any student with decent grades should go to college, but college is clearly “cost prohibitive" for a significant number of folks. Maybe if there is a career path for honest, hardworking students who can't afford college, some might be more inclined to come back to school.

My kid is all but failing a core summer school recovery course, in a matter of hours. They’ve showed up every day for 6 weeks. Yet because of required “homework” and a lack of summer course intervention (albeit a “well” of walls, centered on un licensed staff — all directed to plug teens into online meditation tips/clips — my kid is being punished for: showing up, being an active positive participant and ready to learn. Of course being food insecure and offered an old bag of Cheetos used for a lab experiment was tragic, if not hysterically, “laughable”. Or being sent a link to Life Moves “nothing” but their city contracted salaries , drove deeper the cuts in to the inequities for our falling through the gaps teen agers — all so needing the hand of a caring, involved school staffed human.

As a low wage, hourly working single mom — taking unpaid time away to “advocate” for my child when summer school is meant to be the safety net, the advocacy for just such — I guess it’s all jus numbers and lies. Such a shame. their teacher did not even know if a classroom phone was available to get an outside line... huh!? 911 emergency, a call to the office.

I think our family was blown off course to another “alien” planet this summer. in no way did I feel an associated conduit w their PAUSD academic education — let alone recovery units earned over hours in attendance. So when 100% participatory attendance equals a failing summer school grade?? How equal is that? What is the purpose? Where did all thier hours upon hours of classroom work go or amount to? So when summer school might have been the recovery needed for academic school year gaps or failures, the bridge to success is nothing but fluid lies and goo. Sad. Very very sad.

Any parent knows when their child chooses to play Minecraft or watch YouTube videos, no obstacles are too big for them to overcome.

So when all of these obstacles prevent them from going to school, fundamentally they are choosing not to go.

@Native

Don't expect THE PROMISE to be kept, especially during the summer. It is just PR and those "in the know" understand that it is pure propaganda.

You could contact the board, or the superintendent and express your concerns. Supporters of Mr. Austin say he is very responsive and by their accounts, he will answer your e-mails and treat you with respect.

Not so sure about the board. Enough noise from yourself and others may get them to respond.

Unfortunately, it tends to be a long and exhausting process that is not the purview of working families struggling to make ends meet. All the talk about equity requires very little effort. Making it happen on the ground is a monumental effort, and I am not sure that PAUSD is equal to the task under the current leadership.

I wish you and your children all the best. Fighting the good fight is not easy.