Why are so many kids missing school?

Nearly four years after the start of the coronavirus pandemic, and years after school reopenings, schools still face a major challenge: Students aren’t showing up. An estimated 14.7 million students didn’t show up regularly in the 2022-23 school year and were “chronically absent.” As data rolls out, states are realizing that they can’t address chronic absences without strategic plans to target it. Today on The Weeds, Vox reporter Fabiola Cineas explores what chronic absenteeism is, how it affects children's learning in both the short and long term, and what strategies have a proven track record of getting kids back to school. 

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Credits:

Fabiola Cineas, guest host

Sofi LaLonde, producer

Erica Huang, engineer

Colleen Barrett, fact-checker 

A.M. Hall, editorial director of talk podcasts

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