Rod Flauhaus

Recently, the Cleveland Metropolitan School District uploaded a video of Dr. Warren Morgan and some of his fraternity brothers performing a “Step Dance” to raise awareness of the importance of student attendance. Consistent daily attendance is undeniably crucial to every student’s success.

But the “At-TEN-Dance” video is just the glitter on the campaign, not the glue. It’s a surface-level gesture, not a structural fix for chronic absenteeism. Sure, it makes people notice, smile, and share posts, but it won’t move the needle on systemic absenteeism.

Long-term attendance gains only happen when districts:

• Provide reliable transportation,
• Offer health and mental health supports,
• Engage families directly,
• Make schools safe, violence-free, and welcoming,
• And connect learning to students’ lives.

Plus, considering issues like a lack of textbooks, unreliable transportation, poor-quality school meals, and a district financial crisis, it raises the question of whether a daily dance video should really be where senior leadership’s focus lies.

Why Gimmicks Like the “At-TEN-Dance” Don’t Work

Morale-driven stunts like At-TEN-Dance fail to address the root causes of absenteeism: poverty, transportation, housing instability, health, safety, and student disengagement. These are structural issues, not cultural ones. A daily dance at 10 a.m. won’t make a bus arrive, fix a broken inhaler, or put food on the table. At best, it’s a moment of visibility; at worst, it risks being perceived as superficial—or even dismissive—if not paired with meaningful support.

The Real Challenges Behind Poor Attendance

1. Poverty and Economic Instability
   In Cleveland, poverty isn’t just an abstract number—it influences whether a child gets to school each day. Parents working multiple jobs, dealing with unpredictable schedules, and facing rising costs often prioritize survival over attendance. Every missed paycheck, eviction notice, or broken-down car affects a child’s attendance record. Poverty doesn’t merely coincide with absenteeism; it drives it.
2. Safety Concerns
   Getting to school should never feel dangerous, but for many Cleveland students, it does. Crime, violence, and unsafe streets turn walking or waiting for the bus into a daily risk. Even inside schools, bullying and unchecked disruptions make some students feel less safe than at home. When fear dominates the school environment, attendance becomes optional.
3. Health Challenges
   Chronic health issues keep students out of school for weeks at a time. Asthma triggered by substandard housing, untreated dental problems, and inconsistent access to healthcare create barriers beyond a child’s control. Mental health struggles—such as anxiety, depression, and trauma—worsen the situation, making it hard for children to engage even when they are present.
4. Transportation Barriers
   A student’s determination can’t fix a broken bus system. Delays, canceled routes, and driver shortages trap children every day. For families without cars, or when parents work early or late shifts, missing a bus often means missing an entire day of school. Transportation failures are structural barriers that stop learning before it can even start.
5. Housing Instability
   Children without stable housing face logistical and emotional challenges that make school attendance fragile. Frequent relocations, temporary shelters, or overcrowded living conditions disrupt routines and make basic tasks—like getting dressed or eating breakfast—more difficult.
6. Family Responsibilities
   Many students assume adult responsibilities at home. Caring for younger siblings, preparing meals, or covering work shifts for parents leaves little time for consistent attendance. These sacrifices are acts of necessity, not rebellion, and illustrate the heavy burdens many young people shoulder.
7. Student Disengagement
   School can feel irrelevant or unwelcoming. Curriculum that doesn’t reflect students’ lives, fleeting teacher-student relationships, and inconsistent school leadership create disengagement. Students naturally question why they should show up to an environment that seems indifferent to their presence.
8. Systemic Inequities
   Chronic absenteeism reflects systemic neglect. Underfunded schools, outdated textbooks, overcrowded classrooms, and crumbling facilities send a clear message: these students’ education is not a priority. Generational inequities reinforce absenteeism, and a superficial campaign cannot fix decades of structural failure.

But Cleveland’s past successes, like the broader “Get 2 School. You Can Make It!” campaign, showed that real progress takes more than a gimmick. That effort combined marketing, incentives, supports, and community partnerships, leading to measurable improvements: thousands more students stayed on track, and chronic absenteeism decreased significantly. The At-TEN-Dance was a hook, not a driver of systemic change.

Conclusion

Dance videos, like the CMSD “Step Dance” video, can supplement engagement and morale, but they’re not a replacement for the real, hard work required to improve attendance or participation. However, for serious outcomes, such as reducing chronic absenteeism, these videos are generally marginal at best.

The At-TEN-Dance video is entertaining and easy to share, but it doesn’t solve Cleveland’s attendance problem. To truly improve, district leaders must focus on providing structural support, addressing systemic inequalities, and genuinely involving families and communities. Otherwise, efforts like this might be remembered as the “glitter” on a crumbling foundation – visible but ultimately ineffective.