Student absenteeism, driver's license suspensions
Traffic on the westbound LIE. Many suspended drivers continue driving anyway, a reader writes. Credit: Howard Schnapp
Fix the causes behind absences
The editorial [“Miss school, miss education” Opinion, Feb. 20] rightly underscores the urgency of addressing chronic absenteeism and the important role Albany can play in supporting schools. We agree that students must be present to learn. However, focusing primarily on dashboards, early warning systems, and attendance pilots risks overlooking the critical truth that many students are not absent by choice.
For a growing number of young people, chronic absenteeism is not about “playing hooky.” It is about untreated anxiety, depression, trauma, bullying, and overwhelming social pressures. These are often overlooked and unrecognized. Since the pandemic, we’ve seen a sharp rise in refusing to go to school driven by legitimate mental health challenges. Students struggling to get out of bed because of panic attacks or debilitating depression won’t be helped by better data or draconian mandates.
If we fail to address the root causes, we will continue to treat symptoms rather than solve the problem. Schools need greater access to on-site mental health professionals, early intervention programs, and partnerships with community-based providers such as the South Shore Guidance Center, which specializes in school refusal and family support.
Attendance improves when students feel safe, supported, and emotionally able to walk through the school doors. That is where lasting solutions begin.
— Jennifer Colbert, Westbury
The writer is the chief clinical officer of the EPIC Family of Human Service Agencies.
DMV suspensions aren’t a deterrent
It’s a good thing to attempt to discourage negligent drivers. But increasing the Department of Motor Vehicles points for violations seems to attack the problem from the wrong direction [“State DMV point system toughened for violations,” News, Feb. 16].
Many suspended drivers continue driving anyway. What good does increasing the points do if there are no additional resources for enforcement?
If drivers know they won’t receive greater consequences, they will continue incurring violations with impunity.
Additional points are meaningless if these drivers are not taken off the roads, so a stronger punishment clearly is needed.
— Denis O’Driscoll, Westbury
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