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Last school year, the number of Michigan students who missed more than 10% of school days was among the highest in the nation, at nearly 30%. The rate among Detroit students was more than double that. 

Wayne State University researchers Jeremy Singer and Sarah Lenhoff argue schools alone cannot solve the problem. They say local and state leaders must enact policies that address some of the roots causes of chronic absenteeism, like poverty.

Their new book, “Rethinking Chronic Absenteeism: Why Schools Can’t Solve It Alone,” urges school and government leaders to focus less on what happens in schools and more on the many systemic factors that make getting to class tough for students and their families. 

Singer, a professor of teaching at Wayne State University and associate director of the Detroit Partnership for Education Equity and Research, joined The Metro to explain.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

More stories from The Metro on Monday, April 14:

• New series explores health care education, access for Bangladeshi women
• Detroiter tapped to lead National PAL’s youth mental health and wellness program
• New campaign demands accountability, systemic change for survivors of child abuse
• Highland Park is replacing its 115-year-old water system

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

The city of Detroit has long been a hotbed for jazz. In fact, many musicians would say Motown would not be what it is if not for the musical genre. 

Jazz legends like Marcus Belgrave, Kenny Burrell and Marion Hayden are just a few of the city’s prominent jazz musicians that helped shape the city’s music scene. But while jazz is still relevant in today’s music industry, it’s not a genre that most people associate with younger generations.

Robin Wilson, owner of Vesey Lane Goods in Detroit, is hoping to change that with her new children’s book, “Jazz-A-Bet: An Original Jazz Alphabet.” 

She joined The Metro on Tuesday to share more about her book — a bilingual flip book with one side printed in English and the other printed in Portuguese — and to discuss the importance of exposing kids to music at an early age.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

More stories from The Metro on Tuesday, April 8:

• Detroit’s oldest choir has a new director
• Investigation probes unprecedented number of journalists killed in Gaza
• Fighting food waste with composting in metro Detroit

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.