Getting kids to school every day can be a challenge, so the Department of Education, the Ad Council, My Brother’s Keeper, and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation have teamed up to bring awareness to the importance of school attendance through the Absences Add Up Campaign. Dig into their new information about how to encourage school attendance and resources to help address issues like poor grades, bullying, and family challenges that cause children to miss school when they don’t have to.

Clean Laundry Helps With Attendance

Students who are chronically absent from school are at serious risk for falling behind or failing. After former principal, Dr. Melody Gunn, spoke with parents at her school, she learned that many had trouble washing clothing and it was keeping students from attending school. Whirlpool Care Counts program provided her school with a washer and dryer resulting in a significant increase in attendance for students that participated (Bland, Scarrymommy.com). 

#WhatSchools Need

Beginning September 1, 2016, we are encouraging teachers, principals, parents and administrators to use social media as a tool to help our communities understand how they can help ensure every student has what’s necessary to be successful in school. We hope to provide educators an opportunity to show how you go above and beyond when it comes to ensuring students have the resources and tools they need in the classroom. 

#whatschoolsneed is an opportunity for educators to show:

• The resources you purchase for their students out of their own pockets.
• How you have asked your communities for help through crowd sourcing campaigns and donations.
• The subpar conditions or resources in some of our schools.
• The importance of equitable resources.

Supporting Teacher Social and Emotional Health

Cultivating Awareness and Resilience for Educators, better known as CARE, aims to equip teachers with strategies for de-stressing and de-escalating situations with students, administrators, and parents. Preliminary findings show teachers that utilize CARE’s training and strategies report decreased feelings of anxiety, depression and overall burnout. CARE shares four strategies teachers can start using today. 

Teacher Salary Project Film Highlights Push for Equity

In an effort to draw attention to the idea of a living wage for teachers, the website ATTN used The Teacher Salary Project films (Korey's Story and Laney's Story) to make a new, shorter film that has been viewed nine million times. It’s clearly not only educators who care about a professional salary for teachers. 

September 17 is Constitution Day. 

Constitution Day commemorates the signing of the U.S. Constitution on September 17, 1787. Check out some ways to commemorate it:   

Read and review some interesting facts. 

Teach students how the First Congress proposed amendments to the Constitution in 1789. An eBook, mobile app, created by the Center for Legislative Archives, is available from the National Archives.

Help students learn about checks and balances, amendments, the Bill of Rights, and more through online activities from the National Archives.

For educators and administrators at educational institutions that receive federal funds, refer to ED’s guidance on Commemorating Constitution Day and Citizenship Day. 

The Whiteboard Vs. Touchscreen 

Jim Culbert, executive director of IT for Duval County Public Schools (Jacksonville, Fla.) examines the challenges of going from whiteboards to new touchscreen technology - without breaking the bank. His blog describes how the school district went about updating and standardizing their interactive classroom technologies while also being mindful of the taxpayer dollars used to fund the investment. He offers five lessons learned that can help others navigate the new tech landscape (eSchoolNews.com).

The Teachers Edition asked educators to finish this sentence: "Going back to school is like…” 

5. Going back to school is like the start of a marathon; you're excited to run but need to pace yourself! Teacher, Utah

4. Going back to school is like reading the first chapter of a new book in my favorite series. I get to meet the new characters and see where this novel will take the story. Teacher, Delaware

3. Going back to school is like seeing a rainbow in the middle of a storm. Teacher, Washington, D.C.

2. Going back to school is like takeoff! A bit disorienting, even turbulent, at first, but also full of excitement and hope at the prospect of a new journey. Teacher, Utah

1. Going back to school is like walking into a new album; a unique record on the soundtrack through your life. Each one is unique, but there are sounds, rhythms, and instruments drawing them all together. Principal, Montana