Are Our Kids Quiet Quitting? Why Students Are Disengaging from School—and What Leaders Can Do About It

Summary for Educators

Based on “Are Our Kids Quietly Quitting?” by Joshua P. Starr, CEO of the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), published in The 74 on November 3, 2026.

Original article: Read in The 74

THE BIG IDEA

America's chronic absenteeism crisis may signal something more troubling than students simply missing school. It may reveal that a growing number of young people have psychologically disengaged from education.

Joshua P. Starr suggests that some students are engaging in a version of workplace "quiet quitting" by doing the minimum required, withdrawing emotionally, or choosing not to participate.

Students who miss more than 10% of school days are considered chronically absent. Although transportation difficulties, family responsibilities, illness, and economic hardship contribute to absenteeism, Starr argues that schools must also examine whether students feel connected to their learning.

Attendance incentives, parent notifications, and accountability measures remain important. However, these strategies cannot replace meaningful relationships and engaging instruction.

The central challenge is not merely getting students through the schoolhouse doors. It is creating schools where students genuinely want to be.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Chronic absenteeism may be a symptom rather than the underlying problem.

Persistent absences can signal that students feel disconnected from their teachers, classmates, or academic experiences. Schools must investigate the reasons behind attendance patterns rather than automatically interpreting absences as indifference.

2. Belonging is essential to student engagement.

Students who believe that adults care about them and that their classmates accept them are more likely to participate in learning. Positive school relationships are especially important during the middle and high school years.

3. Relationships often begin with small gestures.

Greeting students by name, asking about their interests, and recognizing their accomplishments can build meaningful connections. Starr recommends the "2×10" strategy: spending two minutes each day for ten consecutive days speaking individually with a disengaged student.

4. Students need meaningful voices in their education.

Inviting students to help establish classroom expectations, participate in decisions, and assume leadership responsibilities can strengthen their sense of ownership.

5. Engagement requires relevant and purposeful learning.

Students are more likely to invest in school when they understand how classroom experiences connect to their interests, future opportunities, and personal goals.

6. Attendance improvement is everyone's responsibility.

Improving attendance cannot rest exclusively with administrators, counselors, or attendance officers. Teachers, families, and school leaders must work together to create welcoming environments that encourage students to return and participate.

WHY IT MATTERS

Chronic absenteeism threatens academic achievement, graduation prospects, and students' long-term opportunities. However, Starr's argument challenges the common assumption that attendance problems can be solved primarily through monitoring, incentives, or consequences.

But Starr's argument challenges a common assumption: that attendance problems can be solved primarily through monitoring, incentives, or consequences.

Research cited in the article connects strong student-teacher relationships, positive peer interactions, and meaningful classroom experiences with improved attendance. For school leaders, this suggests that improving attendance requires both practical support for families and a sustained commitment to school culture.

For school leaders, this suggests that improving attendance requires both practical support for families and a sustained commitment to school culture.

Importantly, the phrase "quiet quitting" should not become another label for blaming students. Instead, it should encourage educators to examine what students are experiencing and what schools can change.

LEADERSHIP ACTION STEPS

1. Conduct a student engagement audit.

Survey students about belonging, classroom relationships, instructional relevance, and their reasons for attending or missing school. Analyze the results by grade level and student group.

2. Implement relationship-building routines.

Encourage teachers to greet students personally, hold brief individual conferences, and adopt strategies such as the 2×10 approach.

3. Create student voice opportunities.

Establish student advisory groups, conduct listening sessions with frequently absent students, and invite meaningful participation in classroom and school decisions.

4. Examine attendance data alongside school climate.

Look beyond absenteeism percentages. Investigate whether attendance patterns are associated with particular transitions, grade levels, school experiences, or unmet student needs.

5. Make learning more relevant.

Expand opportunities for project-based learning, career exploration, authentic problem-solving, and student choice while maintaining high academic expectations.

LEADER REFLECTION

If students are quietly quitting school, what might they be telling us about their daily experiences, and what would we need to change to make them eager to return?

Perhaps the most important question is not simply, "Why aren't students coming to school?" but rather:

"What are we doing every day to make school a place where students feel that they matter?"

©Michael Keany+AI 2026 | School Leadership 2.0