Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau delivered the following remarks at a Council hearing on truancy and chronic absenteeism on October 15.

Thank you to all the public witnesses for your time today and for bringing your energy and passion to this critical issue. 

As the school year began, our schools were called to welcome students back to classrooms under extraordinary circumstances: with federal law enforcement officers patrolling the streets, our educators and administrators, parents and neighbors stepped up to accompany students on the way to school, help everyone understand their rights, and make sure our kids were able to learn with as little distraction as possible. 

All of this, as we continue our efforts to address chronic absenteeism and truancy rates that have seen students out of the classroom in extraordinarily high numbers, each absence a missed chance to work toward their full potential.  

We are failing our kids. We are failing to tackle the crisis right in front of us. 

Today, I’m eager to hear from our witnesses about their experiences to help inform how we as a Council move forward, in collaboration with our communities, to give our students the tools they need to succeed and our teachers the support they need to help them thrive. It is my hope that this body, with its oversight responsibilities, can finally see this pervasive problem for what it is, and start to craft real, workable solutions. Because the situation as it currently stands is not sustainable.    

The first step toward helping our kids reach their potential is making sure they are in school. The first step toward pulling people out of generational poverty and into economic stability is making sure our kids are in school. The first step toward a safe and equitable District is making sure our kids are in school. 

We will need multi-agency collaboration and targeted investments in the resources and programs that we know make a difference like mental health support for students and educators, and the Pay Equity Fund and Out of School Time programs. And we must meet our students and our communities where they are. 

Today, I hope to hear from public witnesses about what is working, and what isn’t. I would like to hear from government witnesses on how agencies are working together to address truancy, learn where they are seeing gaps in communication, and receive updates on the successes of the pilot program and areas for improvement. 

We will not fix this issue overnight. We have to address the root causes of truancy and absenteeism, and treat these issues as symptoms of broader, more complex and systemic problems that will take innovative solutions. 

I look forward to hearing from our public witnesses. 

Thank you.