The attendance records for the City Council's fiscal year 2011 have just been posted, and at least six Councilmembers have been summoned to the principal's office! Kidding, they can pound beer and smoke bowls in the City Council parking lot without consequence, and still rake in over $100K per year. Of course, they do have to take a little guff from tabloids like the NY Post, which gleefully reports that six "council members—who earn base salaries of $112,500 plus bonuses—missed at least 16 percent of their required meetings at City Hall." Drum roll, PLEASE! The six most-absent City Councilmembers (and their excuses) are: more ›

Principal Ernest Jackson runs a tight ship at the Chester Academy up there in Orange County. And when a parent calls in to say her two boys are "sick," he sees no reason to take the explanation at face value. So, just like fictional Principal Ed Rooney—the heroic, determined protagonist of the Hollywood epic Ferris Bueller's Day Off—Jackson saddled up and went to personally verify that Michael DiQuattro's two sons were indeed too sick to learn. For that, he may face criminal charges. more ›

The New School's Center for New York City Affairs issued a troubling report finding that "more than 90,000 children in grades K through 5 (more than 20 percent of enrollment) missed at least one month of school." And, "In high poverty neighborhoods, the number was far higher, approaching one-third of primary grade students." You can read the whole report here--PDF--but here's an excerpt from the executive summary:

There are many reasons for high rates of chronic early-grade absenteeism: health issues such as asthma, transportation problems (particularly for children with disabilities), and dislocations caused by eviction or traveling between homeless shelters. There are issues of family instability, such as a mother’s depression or illness. Absences are also associated with cultural issues such as language barriers, and with problematic family priorities, including extended family vacations during the school year. The schools themselves bear a responsibility for attendance, both in their attention to the issue and in their efforts to create welcoming places where children want to be and that parents respect and value. more ›