ABSTRACT
Taking students out of class for an extended period of time is (thankfully) not too common. More often a student will be absent in smaller increments. When a child is chronically absent for no legitimate reason, some parents will look for other excuses for the child’s lack of progress. The best a teacher can do when a child is chronically absent or tardy for nonlegitimate reasons is to hold the child accountable for work missed. The teacher should insist that the child make up assignments, and she should call the parents to solicit their support. Although chronic absenteeism is a problem at all levels, it is particularly worrisome at the elementary level when kids are learning basic skills. At the elementary level, parents can sometimes be overprotective, keeping a child home if she complains of the mildest of upset tummies. At the high school level, on the other hand, parents are sometimes under-protective, turning their heads to ignore frequent truancy.
