OKCPS Reports Zero Truancy Claims For Spring 2021 As District Shifts Policy news9.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from news9.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
By: Augusta McDonnell
OKLAHOMA CITY -
Oklahoma City Public Schools attendance advocates reported zero truancy citations issued to students in the spring 2021 semester.
This milestone marks a shift in policy for the district, according to Tracey Alvarez, OKCPS coordinator of attendance advocacy and student supports.
“We’ve really punished a lot of parents just for being poor. We’ve punished a lot of kids for having poor parents and being born into poverty,” Alvarez said. “Instead of really trying to figure out why they’re not in school, what are the root causes for why are they getting in trouble all the time?”
By: Augusta McDonnell
OKLAHOMA CITY -
Oklahoma City Public Schools has a new program to support students and families with a broad range of challenges at home.
Programs that were developed during the pandemic are here to stay, as administrators took a new approach to long standing issues.
“What we saw students really struggling with were utilities and eviction,” said Marsha Herron, Chief of Equity and Student Support at OKCPS.
Food and housing insecurities among the OKCPS student body meant that kids had trouble connecting to their classes and getting a meal during COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. Now, all types of resources for families are just a call away.