Why Are They Not Here: Student, Teacher, & Administrator Perspectives on Absenteeism/Tardiness in Baltimore City

• In Event: Classrooms Under Fire: Teacher Well-Being, Student Belonging, and the Politics of Schooling

Abstract

Although blatant racism is outlawed, the social structures that produced policies like red-lining are not dismantled. Despite school reforms, students struggle to arrive at their chosen school on time due to public transportation failures. To identify more factors, we interviewed 140 students and 60 teachers/administrators from Baltimore City. We provide a comparison analysis of this data to uncover three sub-themes related to attendance/tardiness: public transportation failures, family dynamics, and school environment. We illustrate that absenteeism/tardiness is not a matter of student disinterest but a “wicked problem” with multi-level contributors. We conclude that this comparison analysis revealed insufficient communication about these contributors, and absenteeism/tardiness should be addressed as a “wicked problem” through family-school collaboration and policy-level reform.

Authors

• Richard Lofton, Johns Hopkins University

• Yutong Xie, Johns Hopkins University

• Joshua Childs, University of Texas at Austin