During my nearly 20 years as an edtech executive, I’ve seen how well-designed technology can meaningfully improve teaching and learning. But I’ve also learned its limits.
Some of the most urgent challenges schools face today aren’t problems of scale or data, but of trust, relationships and human connection. A prime example of this is our struggle to address chronic absenteeism.
Chronic absenteeism emerged as a serious national challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic, peaking at 31% in the 2021–22 school year. While rates declined slightly to 28% in 2022–23, far too many students continue to miss significant instructional time.