Buffalo Rising Online

Oct 2nd 2008, 7:21am By Jennifer Lawandus

One of the most significant, yet under appreciated individuals who directly affects the academic wellbeing of our youth is the person who enforces student attendance for a school district. In the past, they were referred to as Truant Officers, but now they hold the more palatable title of Attendance Teachers.

Truant officers of the past would go to the homes of children absent from school or hunt kids down at local hang-outs in an effort to increase the attendance rolls. The name and the system have since changed, and attendance teachers rarely go to homes to bring children back to school. Their new title is a result of state certification.

In 2008, students enrolled in Buffalo Public Schools will be kept in check by three attendance teachers and Supervisor of Attendance Services John Crabbe. With 70 schools, the BPS district is serving nearly 40,000 students. "With an attendance rate of about 89%, attendance teachers were only able to work approximately 1,000 cases of truancy last year," Crabbe said.

With a disproportionate number of students to truancy staff, the BPS Attendance Services must operate with efficiency, allowing them to handle more cases without increasing the number of attendance teachers. “Being an attendance teacher involves so much work, we can't possibly accomplish what we would like to. Of course, this is frustrating because we can never get to all the cases and spend the desired amount of time on each," Crabbe explained.

In a sea of truancy cases, attendance teachers pick their marks based on the number of school days a student has missed, the student's past record with school, whether the student is involved in a current family court case, or if the attendance teacher has received a referral from the student’s school. “The district has also stepped up to assist the attendance teachers in their never-ending quest by instituting an automated call system. The system automatically telephones the homes of students who are not in attendance. This call system saves the BPS on man power and is clearly a step in the right direction, however, the system does not get attendance teachers in front of the parents,” Crabbe said.

Currently, attendance teachers work with students who have difficulty coming to school on time by placing emphasis on the relationship with the parent. They attempt to determine what the student and parent issues are (if any) that contribute to truancy problems, and they work to resolve them. "Home visits are still a big part of being an attendance teacher, but now we have the goal of meeting with the parents/guardians and having a discussion on their turf, so they feel more comfortable. During the visit attendance teachers discuss why parents are not successful in getting their child to school.

A common issue for students is that they feel school is boring, primarily because they have fallen behind. If a student has to repeat grades, their lack of success further diminishes their view of school. In response to this problem, the BPS has been working to increase the level of success for students in the early grades with basic skills like math and reading. Having these basic skills early allows the student to perform at a much higher level in high school," Crabbe stated.

However, academic issues are not the only reason students are missing school. Other factors include gang activity and students needing to work instead of going to school because of poverty. "Additionally," Crabbe said, “the problem may lie in the parents of the student, as some parents have had poor experiences in the past when they attended school. These parents are generally not advocates for formal education. The district has two programs that attempt to address these issues: Every Person Influences Children (EPIC) and Parent Network. These programs strive to inform and involve parents about the BPS system and their children."

If there are larger issues going on at home, that are causing a student to be truant the attendance teachers will make use of educational neglect laws to encourage parents to take another look at their responsibilities. Attendance teachers also work with students designated as PINS, the acronym for Person In Need of Supervision, and Child Services if they need help with a truant student.

“If a student is referred to PINS and will not cooperate, they are eventually referred to family court. After family court, if the student fails to follow the judge’s instructions they are placed in a non-secure detention facility, which hopefully is the wake-up call that some students need. To get to this point in the process it takes time, and if this doesn't get the student back into school they are usually aging out of the system anyways.” The BPS has a 17-year-old age limit for compulsory school attendance. Once a student is 17, the attendance teachers attempt to get them into GED recovery programs if the student has been unsuccessful at graduating.

With the overwhelming number of students and the minimal amount of attendance teachers, it’s clear that this profession rates as one of Buffalo’s most trying jobs. “If a student is not in school the districts programs go to waste. If a student attends school there is a greater chance of changing the student’s life for the better," Crabbe said. "Once you get an education, you have unlimited opportunities.”