Last year, a quarter of Chicago’s high schoolers missed at least 35 days of the school year — double the number of students who missed that much school in 2019.
Chronic absenteeism is an issue that our team at CIS of Chicago works to address, both with individual student support and resource connection.
This month, WBEZ Chicago highlighted our work at Farragut High School. There, Bethany Cooper-Nelson, one of our Student Supports Managers, meets with students and provides the one-on-one guidance they need to come to school and stay in school.
In the article, linked here, WBEZ highlighted Bethany’s work and shared the story of one of our CIS students, Carmelia.
“Cooper-Nelson chats with Carmelia about their shared love of the graphic romance novel series ‘Heartstopper.’ She also hands out snacks and helps Carmelia stay organized and turn in assignments. But more than that, Cooper-Nelson sees Carmelia daily, holding her accountable and making sure she knows she matters.”
