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A commentary published by The 74 argues that chronic student absenteeism should be treated not only as an attendance problem but also as a sign that some students feel disconnected from school. The author calls for outreach and attendance supports alongside stronger relationships, classroom engagement and a greater sense of belonging; the article does not establish that disengagement is the sole cause of absences.
The 74 published an opinion article asking whether chronic student absenteeism amounts to a form of “quiet quitting,” arguing that schools need to address students’ engagement and sense of belonging, not only their attendance. The article frames the comparison as an interpretation, not a finding that all absences stem from disengagement, and calls for schools to combine family outreach and attendance supports with stronger student-teacher relationships and meaningful classroom participation.
The author defines chronic absenteeism as missing more than 10% of school days and argues that students who repeatedly miss school may be signaling that they do not see enough value in attending. The article acknowledges that external barriers can affect attendance, while contending that schools also need to examine whether students feel connected to their classes and communities.
The opinion piece says attendance outreach, incentives and community involvement can help, but may not be sufficient on their own. It cites research and organizations including Panorama, Attendance Works and the UChicago Consortium in support of links among attendance, academic performance, relationships and students’ sense of meaning in their classes. The supplied article does not provide study methods, sample sizes or effect estimates.
As practical examples, the author describes teachers greeting students by name, learning about their lives and holding brief daily conversations with a student who appears to be disengaging. The article also recommends asking students with frequent absences about their experiences, involving them in classroom decisions and giving them leadership roles. School leaders, it says, can support this work by treating attendance as a shared responsibility and examining school climate and adult-student relationships rather than focusing only on what is wrong with an individual student.
Attendance Depends on More Than Rules
The argument matters because attendance is connected to students’ access to instruction and relationships at school. The article cites research associating chronic absence with weaker academic performance, social connections and graduation prospects. It does not claim that every absent student is disengaged or that belonging-focused practices alone will resolve attendance problems.
For educators and families, the distinction shapes the response. Attendance tracking and family contact can identify patterns and address practical obstacles, while relationships and classroom relevance may help some students feel more connected. The article’s central point is that these approaches can work together: getting students through the door is different from helping them feel that school is a place where they matter.
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The Article’s Quiet-Quitting Comparison
The piece borrows the workplace phrase “quiet quitting,” which became common in public discussion a few years earlier. In the article’s description, the phrase refers to employees doing the minimum required rather than leaving their jobs. The author applies the analogy to students who continue to be enrolled but miss school or participate less, while presenting it as a question and interpretation rather than a formal explanation of absenteeism.
The article places its argument amid what it calls a continuing crisis of chronic absenteeism and says disengagement is a particular concern at the middle and high school levels. It refers to a recent Walton Foundation and Gallup study on student engagement, as well as a CASEL brief by Dr. Shelley Berman and Dr. Rista Plate that identifies four attendance-related areas: developmental relationships, caring school communities, social-emotional competencies and engagement. The source material does not include publication dates or detailed findings for those studies.
““Students must feel a reason to be in school.””
— The 74 opinion article
What the Commentary Cannot Establish
The article is an opinion piece, and its “quiet quitting” comparison is a framing device rather than a demonstrated diagnosis. The supplied material does not quantify how many students are chronically absent, identify the share whose absences are driven by disengagement, or separate that factor from health, family, transportation or other barriers.
It also does not provide enough detail to assess the studies it cites, including their methods or whether particular relationship-building practices caused attendance to improve. The article says that external factors have long affected attendance, but does not document how those barriers have changed or how they vary among students and schools. The relative effectiveness of its suggested practices therefore remains unclear from the source.
Schools’ Response and Evidence
The article does not announce a new policy, program or scheduled follow-up. It urges educators and administrators to pair attendance monitoring and family outreach with work on classroom relationships, student voice and school climate. Its proposed next steps include listening to students who are missing school, involving them in decisions and supporting teachers in building connections.
Whether those approaches improve attendance will depend on how schools put them into practice and evaluate results. Further reporting would be needed to establish which interventions work for different students, how they address practical barriers and whether changes in belonging are followed by sustained attendance gains.
Key Questions
What does the article mean by “quiet quitting” among students?
It uses the workplace phrase as an analogy for students who remain enrolled but appear disengaged or frequently absent. The author raises the comparison as an interpretation, not as a formal diagnosis.
How does the article define chronic absenteeism?
The article defines it as missing more than 10% of school days. The supplied source does not give a specific school year or a national count of affected students.
What does the author recommend schools do?
The author supports family outreach and attendance measures, alongside efforts to build student-teacher relationships, classroom engagement and belonging. Examples include greeting students by name, listening to students with frequent absences and giving them a role in classroom decisions.
Does the article show that disengagement causes chronic absenteeism?
No. It argues that disengagement may be one part of the problem, but does not establish it as the cause of all or most absences. The author acknowledges external barriers, and the source does not quantify the role of different causes.
Source: the74million.org
