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Senate study committee spotlights local protocols as ‘canary’ in chronic absenteeism fight
Summary
At a joint Senate–House study hearing on chronic absenteeism, speakers highlighted local attendance-review protocols — notably Cobb County’s multi‑stakeholder approach — as the practical response to rising absentee rates and the precursor to dropout and juvenile justice involvement.
A joint Senate–House study committee on combating chronic absenteeism heard Wednesday that local, multi‑stakeholder attendance protocols are the most concrete tool to address rising absenteeism and prevent students from dropping out or entering the juvenile justice system.
Senator John F. Kennedy, who chaired the hearing, said the issue stretches beyond education into workforce and public health and thanked members of both chambers for the joint effort. Judge Asha Harris, chief superior court judge in Cobb County, told lawmakers chronic absenteeism is "the real canary in the coal mine" — an early warning sign that, left unchecked, often precedes dropping out and later criminal justice involvement.
The hearing emphasized grassroots, local solutions. Judge…
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