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Georgia school social workers urge targeted staffing, tiered approach and QBE recognition to reduce chronic absenteeism
Summary
Corey Lowe of the School Social Workers Association of Georgia told the committee that staffing gaps — a statewide average of one social worker per 1,100 students versus a recommended 1:250 — and community needs like food insecurity drive chronic absenteeism; SWAG recommended targeting high‑need counties and eventual recognition of social‑worker specializations under QBE.
Corey Lowe, president of the School Social Workers Association of Georgia and a licensed clinical social worker in Walker County, told the Student Attendance and Chronic Absenteeism Study Committee that school social workers bridge home, school and community needs and that staffing shortages limit proactive prevention work.
Lowe said Georgia currently averages one school social worker for every 1,100 students while the national recommended ratio is about one for every 250 students. He…
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