Column: Stem absenteeism with parents as partners

Asthma is the single largest cause of student absenteeism, writes JoBeth Allen, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Language and Literacy Education, in a recent Get Schooled blog on ajc.com.

Asthma, high levels of lead, uncorrected vision problems and untreated cavities are all reasons why children stay home from school, according to a study by the Economic Policy Institute. In her column, Allen recalls what one school district in California did to proactively stem the high tide of absenteeism—using a combination of parent volunteers and community partners to get services to kids who needed them.

As a result, unexcused absences dropped by 72 percent during the program's first year.

Read more about this effort to support families as partners in their children's education.