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Happy official mid-July! For most Tennessee districts, students will be back in their classrooms in less than a month.
But how do school leaders keep those seats full throughout the year? This week, I talked to the principal of Compass Berclair, a Memphis charter school that cut chronic absenteeism rates from over 50% to 1% in the span of four years.
Kamie Cowan said that huge drop started with establishing an attendance team that meets weekly to brainstorm solutions. But there’s much more to the school’s success.
Read more about Compass Berclair’s strategy here. And as always, send your thoughts my way at [email protected].
Local education coverage is disappearing. Chalkbeat helps families and educators understand what’s changing. We can’t do it without you.
Local News
This Memphis charter school cut chronic absenteeism to only 3 students. Here’s how.
Over half of the students at Compass Berclair were chronically absent in 2022. Last year, only three students hit that mark.
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What We’re Reading
See Tennessee's 2026 public school district report card, The Tennessean (Paywall)
Lowery: ‘Collaboration’ with state, not intervention or takeover, The Daily Memphian (Paywall)
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