We need your help to keep kids in school

Dear Friends,

After hearing from many of you - and from parents, educators and community members throughout the city - in 2014 at meetings of the Truancy in Chicago Public Schools task force, legislators decided a longer-term, statewide and more sustained approach to attendance issues was needed. I introduced legislation creating the Illinois Attendance Commission; my colleagues on both sides of the aisle passed it, and the governor signed it into law in recognition of the vital importance of keeping our young people in school.

Now we need your input again. The Illinois Attendance Commission brings together policymakers, teachers, children's advocates, disability advocates, public health specialists and more in order to confront the challenges that keep kids out of the classroom. The Commission will hold public hearings and issue a report yearly through 2020, developing a long-term response to truancy and chronic absenteeism.

I know this isn't a simple problem. The barriers that keep children out of school are many and varied. They are often related to poverty and health challenges, and our schools cannot always resolve these situations alone. It takes a community infrastructure to support families and make sure our youth are safe and learning.

Whether you work with children, have children and/or have a perspective to bring to the table on truancy, I welcome you to share your testimony and listen to others who care about this issue. I hope to see you next Tuesday. Please call my office at (773) 224-2830 with any questions you may have.

Sincerely,

Senator Jacqueline Collins
16th District – Illinois