Teacher absences worse in Chicago's poorest schools

CAT Tracks Editor's Note:

I could go on and on and on...

• That student performance/behavior affects teacher absenteeism, a "the chicken or the egg" thing.

• That harping on teacher absenteeism won't improve the situation, will probably make it even worse. "Abusers" of any rule are not impressed when the administration does its usual thing of berating all instead of the actual culprits. The "good teachers", those dragging their sick/exhausted bodies, minds, and souls to school, will feel attacked and need a "mental health day" to recover.

• That allstudents miss more than 10 "instruction days" due to worthless professional development days (SIP days, early release days, etc.) , "fun days" (like pajama day, sunglasses day, hat day, etc.), various assemblies, etc.

• And, well, don't get me started on testing and test prep!

This old dinosaur's favorite paragraph from the article:

“It wears you out,” he said. “You are on stage performing for six hours straight every day. You need to grab the attention of children. And they have to walk out of the room learning something. That’s a huge amount of pressure.”

Needless to say, the "reformsters" would have a quick answer to that...

...just another "bad teacher" insisting on being the "sage on the stage" when s/he knows better, that students learn better/more when the teacher relinquishes the stage and assumes the proper role as "guide on the side."

Well, hell, you got your wish with teachers who aren't there...

...they are as far off to the side as humanly possible!

My second favorite quote:

Potter said another factor is that CPS banned the use of personal days off on training days.

Training that is most likely as worthless as...

...uh, well, we had enough of locker room talk during the presidential campaign.

And...

...when teachers are absent for whatever reason, the students are in the hands of the very ones you thought were acceptable when you forced teachers to leave their students behind to attend worthless PD.

So...

...does "teacher absenteeism" impact instructional time?

Absolutely...

...whether it is "teacher choice" or administrator choice!

And...

...in either case, there is a price that the teacher pays, a price that is more effective in preventing/reducing teacher absenteeism than any other policy that the administration can possible devise:

Lesson plans. Extra papers to grade. The probable chaos awaiting the teacher's return.

So...

...yes, you can collect data on teacher absenteeism, you can shame teachers who miss too much school (for deaths in the family, for serious illnesses in the family, for personal illnesses, surgeries, pregnancies or simply because they just can't take it anymore and they thought staying home was better than coming to school angry)...

...and it won't change a damn thing.

But, not to worry!

Now that the Republicans have taken over two branches of the federal government (all three once 2017 brings the new U.S. Supreme Court justice(s)...

...teacher absenteeism will become moot.

The "education reformers" will now have free reign to replace public education with online learning...

...à la Trump University.

So...

No more sage on the stage...

...no more guide on the side.

No, under big-business, profit-motivated, Republican "public education", the new mantra will be: