“It’s to emphasize district enrollment. Currently, average daily attendance drives fundraising. “This is a huge blow to our system where only 70% of children attend on any given day.”
“That punishes you?” I repeated. “If only 70% of your kids are there, you don’t need a lot of money.”
“You are wrong on that point.” He said. “Our costs don’t go down when the kids aren’t there. We still have to pay all our employees and buy all our materials. There is no change. In fact, we need to get additional funding because we need additional resources to support students who aren’t there.”
“Wait.” I intervened. “You’re telling me you want the state to give it to you. additional Will you pay students a dollar if they don’t show up?”
He forced my skeptical questions. I think he probably should have raised an eyebrow. “Yes,” he explained. “We are calling on the Legislature to make the funding formula more equitable.”
“Earnestly?” I asked. “Do we want schools where students attend to receive less funding and schools with empty seats to receive more support? It rewards schools that don't do their job! How on earth is that fair?”
“We are focused on the needs of our learners,” he said. “When you start talking about ‘rewarding’ schools, it sounds like you think schools have control over whether or not students attend. We are not like that. We serve underprivileged children in struggling communities. Our students have to work and watch their brothers and sisters. Many people are homeless. There are immigrant students and families who inherit the legacy of white supremacist culture. “Just surviving each day is a sense of accomplishment.”
Uh huh.
“look. Some children face more challenges than others. totally. But I don't believe that schools are powerless. You can find out if it's worth attending and have staff speak to the family or knock on the door. They need to rethink transportation, educate parents, and set expectations. It takes effort, but it is possible. “It’s as if they’re throwing up their hands and saying no one should be held accountable.”
He shook his head. “That’s a very simplistic and very privileged view of the situation,” he grumbled. “Maybe you're not familiar enough with what we've learned about anti-racism, but it sounds like you're blaming powerless people for their plight. We are not here to condemn them, but to serve them. And it's not just about getting kids to school. “We need to understand how complex their lives are and respect community norms.”
“Wait.” I said. “I thought we agreed that truancy was a problem. Mandatory education is kind of illegal. But is it rude to expect children to come to school?”