At César E. Chávez Elementary School in the Back of the Yards neighborhood, our school’s attendance rate climbed to 96% last year. That’s in comparison with nearly 1 in 4 students nationwide who are chronically absent — and when students aren’t in class, they’re more apt to fall behind.
Every day at 8:15 a.m., my team and I gather around a custom-built dashboard that shows every student absent from Chávez. Before our students even finish eating breakfast in the classroom, we’ve already called families, checked on students and even knocked on doors. Sometimes we walk students to school. Or, help parents troubleshoot transportation or child care challenges. This is not a special initiative. It’s our daily routine.
What may surprise people is that we did not set out specifically to reduce chronic absenteeism. We focused on building strong attendance habits, strengthening relationships and creating a school where students feel supported and safe. At Chávez — where nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, and the vast majority are Latino — this work has taken on added urgency. Increased immigration enforcement activity in Chicago has created real fear among families in our community. When students are afraid to leave their homes, when parents worry about walking their children to school, attendance becomes more than an operational challenge. It becomes a matter of trust.
That’s why focusing on the number alone is not enough. Chronic absenteeism is a lagging indicator. It tells us which students are absent 10% or more of the time but not why they stayed home or what schools can do. If Chicago wants to make meaningful progress on reducing absenteeism, we must focus on the deeper conditions that keep students connected to school.
I’ve spent nearly 25 years at Chávez — first as a teacher, then a coach and now principal — in a school the district once rated Level 2, at the edge of probation. We are now among the top-performing schools in Illinois. Our school was one of the few high-poverty schools statewide designated “exemplary” last school year.
Here are several lessons I believe could guide efforts across Chicago:
- Treat attendance as a daily practice, not a quarterly strategy. At Chávez, attendance is the No. 1 priority in our school improvement plan. Teachers record attendance in two places: the district system and an internal Google dashboard built by a developer on staff. By 8:15 a.m., our attendance team — including assistant principals, security guards, clerks and our restorative justice coordinator — reviews it together. If a student is absent, we call immediately. If we can’t reach a family, we visit. In the first weeks of school, those visits are daily. Later, they happen one or two times a week. Attendance improves through real-time action and accountability — not end-of-month reports.
- Build a comprehensive student support system. We have a six-person behavioral health team: two counselors, a full-time social worker, an assistant principal, a restorative justice coordinator and a student support coordinator. Importantly, our counselors aren’t pulled into non-counseling duties; they spend their time supporting students and families. In a community where deportation fears are affecting daily routines, this support is vital. Students need to know school is a safe place with adults who will help them navigate stress or crisis. We create a foundation of trust.
- Prioritize teacher stability. A recent report showed that teacher absenteeism across Chicago Public Schools is alarmingly high, with over 40% of teachers chronically absent. Teacher absences affect predictability and routines. At Chávez, teacher stability is one of our greatest strengths. In our math department, turnover has been nearly zero for 15 years aside from one retirement. Several teachers are Chávez graduates. We also hire new teachers through a paid residency model, where they shadow veteran teachers before leading their own classrooms. When students see the same adults year after year, they feel grounded. Attendance follows stability.
- Extend learning beyond the bell. As a federal 21st Century Community Learning Center and a recent CPS Sustainable Community School, we offer 36 after-school programs and a free summer program serving hundreds of students. These programs expand students’ network of trusted adults and strengthen their attachment to school.
- Allow principals the flexibility to design solutions. It comes down to flexibility. As an Independent School Principal, I have the autonomy to structure staffing, scheduling, curriculum and supports in ways that meet our community’s needs. Addressing absenteeism requires being nimble. Attendance is not merely an administrative issue; it is a cultural one.
Chicago is right to be concerned about chronic absenteeism. But the solutions won’t come from focusing on a metric. They will come from investing in the systems and relationships that help students feel seen, supported and connected to school.
At Chávez, we’ve learned that you don’t improve attendance by demanding compliance from families. You improve it by showing up consistently and with care. If we want students to be present every day, then the adults in the system must be present first.
Barton Dassinger is principal of Cesar E Chávez, a pre-K through eighth grade open-enrollment neighborhood school in the Back of the Yards neighborhood. He is an alum of Teach for America.
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