Kids have been cutting class since the first school doors opened. No mobile app will change that. To me, the only answer is to encourage schooling from a young age. If parents and early educators are committed, chances are the child will be.

In an effort to combat chronic absenteeism in the City’s public schools, the Bloomberg administration and AT&T are hosting a hackathon. It’s a two-day mobile app competition that invites teachers, students, and policy-makers to work with tech experts to develop an app that will encourage students to stay in school, and give communities tools to fight truancy.

This is latest effort from the Mayor’s Interagency Task Force on Truancy, Absenteeism and School Engagement. This agency also was behind the Wake Up! NYC campaign you may remember from February 2011, which featured automated messages from celebrities like Magic Johnson, Trey Songz, and Jose Reyes, urging students to get out of bed and off to school.

According to the Department of Education, one out of five New York City public school students – more than 250,000 – were chronically absent last year. The DOE also points out 15% of elementary and 34% of high school students in the City missed one month or more of school last year. And, students who miss 20 days or more in a single year have a dramatically reduced chance of graduation.

Why do you think so many students don’t show up to school? Will creating an app help improve attendance? What other ideas do you have to get kids to class?

Send your thoughts using the e-mail link above.

We as educators need to "Make the Ordinary Extraordinary".

Danielle
The Bronx

Hi John,

This is just another of Bloomberg's when did the bell go off in his head that this is a huge problem. Why did they get rid of the truant officers? Well we couldn't have anyone feel offended and thus started the political correctness. If this mayor feels that this is one of the reasons for them not graduating he himself is to blame because they just have to go to make up a few subjects in about if I recall correctly 5 weeks and then you graduate. He creates all of these problems and in my estimation as I have mention many times before he is at the point that he will latch on to anything to prove that he has and will leave a great legacy. So now all of these free passes that were given to everyone just for votes and not to offend and racial profiling, etc. have all come back to haunt him.

[DREAM ON]

Thank you John,
maxxiee
mp

OK JOHN,

THIS ISSUE IS A FAMILY ONE. IT IS UP TO THE FAMILY OF THE STUDENT TO EXPLAIN WHY THEY MUST REMAIN IN SCHOOL UNTIL GRADUATION. IF PEOPLE HAVE THOSE FUNDS AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE THE APP, OR THAT THERE IS NO FINANCIAL BACKING TO SUPPORT THE CLAIM, THE PARENTS HAVE TO STEP UP AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR CHILDREN. I AM SICK AND TIRED OF THESE PEOPLE WHO FEEL WE OWE THEM SOME SORT OF RESTITUTION AND IT IS NOT THEIR PROBLEM.

LISTEN UP, WE DID NOT ASK THE PARENTS PERMISSION UPON CONCEPTION. KEEP THE FAMILY UNIT TOGETHER AND INFORM THEM THAT AS RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS, THE WORLD IS THEIR OYSTER. WE HAVE TO GET AGGRESSIVE AND PLACE THE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS MISS-UNDERSTANDING CITIZENSHIP, THAT AS A FAMILY UNIT, THE FAMILY HAS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE ACTIONS OF THEIR CHILDREN/WARD, ETC.

IF THE FAMILY IS LEFT OUT OF THEIR COMMITMENT, WHETHER IT IS LANGUAGE PROBLEMS, AND THERE IS NO CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OR COMPREHENSION, DUE TO THE LACK OF NOT UNDERSTANDING ENGLISH. WE NEED TO MAKE THE PARENTS RESPONSIBLE, OR THEY TOO, WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE ACTIONS OF THEIR CHILDREN, OR THE LACK THEREOF.

CARMELITA............HARLEM

She had a good idea with the buddy system. It's not a city-wide program to be implemented, but perhaps something thoughtful for some principals and teachers for some group of their students. Help her get a voice so that kids can possibly be helped by her idea. The city needs parents involved with ideas such as this on a grass-roots level.

Matthew

What's the reason children skip school? What do they do after skipping? If school was more interesting, more after school programs; more things to do in school. Rather then going outside. Invest in education!! Both home and school support is important to develop child's understanding of their responsibility towards school. Are they getting the attention they need? Are guidance counselors doing their job? Lets not waste money in enforcing touch truancy laws, have more opportunities to develop. Development of our children is in our hands.

Thanks for the opportunity,
Mayank

I was chronically absent from High School but would still ace all my tests. The reason for my absenteeism was "anti-peer pressure"; I did not feel welcome at my school nor did I fit in and I just wanted to stay away from there as much as possible. I also suffered from social anxiety and depression so there is more to this than simply delinquency.

Robert

It takes parent, schools and the government to raise children. Better parent involvement. More educational resources. City curfews should be in place to support the parents and the schools attempts at bringing up a responsible adult. Children will take going to school more seriously when the have to face consequence and not just the parents. Sometimes with the most attentive parents a child will still miss behave.

Moniqe

I was absent often in middle school because I was being bullied, by a girl and some other students in my grade.

I missed the maximum 18 Biology classes in high school, not only because I didn't want to be there, but also because I didn't want to be surrounded by the peers with whom I felt I had nothing in common with. I cared about school and my education, I graduated within the top 5% of my class, on time. However, there isn't an App in the world that would encourage me to go to any of those missed classes if I had the opportunity to do things over. What would've convinced me to go to class is the knowledge that I had someone to assess the issues that I was having.

- Dominique, Manhattan

Reason why I did not go to MBA was because the teacher were always verbally abusive towards us.

Diana

I was absent often in middle school because I was being bullied, by a girl and some other students in my grade.

I missed the maximum 18 Biology classes in high school, not only because I didn't want to be there, but also because I didn't want to be surrounded by the peers with whom I felt I had nothing in common with. I cared about school and my education, I graduated within the top 5% of my class, on time. However, there isn't an App in the world that would encourage me to go to any of those missed classes if I had the opportunity to do things over. What would've convinced me to go to class is the knowledge that I had someone to assess the issues that I was having.

DD

My 3 kids they used to cut classes all the time and I didn't know what to do besides ripping their heads off, when I asked why, why, why they cut and missed classes they responded each time "ma, school's boring" thank God they graduated, went on to college and have great careers,

Carmen
Bay Ridge

Hi, I have developed a software for this particular topic, and help our schools and families to retain our student is schools . So please if you can connect me to the right person ill highly appreciated.

Jasim

I believe is up to the parents...if the parents aren't involve with their kids academics they won't show no interest.........Another thing is if they are absent I'm sure is cause their parents don't know about it.............cancel their metro cards and let the parents know why their metrocards are canceled...I'm sure if they don't go to school they going else where....

A.A.

1. No city subsidies for parents without passing grades.
2. No drivers license without high school diploma.
3. More perks for kids who do the right thing!!!

Margaret

Everyone's so busy asking each other and literally guessing what would help....Why not ask the kids themselves?

Cynthia

No. Hooky parties. Sex. Flashmob or wilding will continue regardless of an app. Parents need to step up more.

Jimmy. The Bronx.

An app is not going to get a student who is chronically absent to go to school. As someone who deals with truants, I can tell you those students have no desire to be in school. In addition, a school has an obligation to call a parent if there is excessive absence & also have to notify ACS. Finally, many of those students are subject to peer pressure.

Dave
Flatbush, Brooklyn