Smarter Learning Group

So proud to support and to serve on the national advisory board for Attendance Works - an organization that is focused on helping us solve the problem of chronic absenteeism.

Click to read more about how Attendance Works and districts across the country are addressing high rates of absenteeism with home visits, robust data reporting, new class offerings, and more.

3 years since the pandemic wrecked attendance, kids still aren't showing up to school By some estimates, chronic absenteeism doubled during the pandemic. Now, about halfway through the most "normal" school year since 2020, the situation hasn't improved in many places.

Our colleague, Bob Saffold, recently authored the book, "A People’s Movement: How a team of state and local leaders mobilized the grassroots, transformed public education, and lived to tell the tale—and how you can, too.” I am so proud to have worked alongside Bob throughout my career and am excited to read this book when The Riley Institute at Furman launches it later this month.

Learn more about the book:

Riley Institute to launch new book about passage of groundbreaking 1984 South Carolina Education Improvement Act “A People’s Movement” shares relevant lessons from one of the nation’s most ambitious state-level legislative reform initiatives.

I enjoyed watching this section on the Today Show and learning about the work that Barbershop Books is doing to inspire Black boys and other vulnerable children to read for fun across the country. Check it out to learn more about this innovative program!

Watch TODAY Excerpt: Why this barbershop is offering books to young patrons - NBC.com Watch TODAY excerpt 'Why this barbershop is offering books to young patrons' on NBC.com