2026 MSAA Summer Institute

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to defeat the ultimate nemesis of elementary education: The Warm Bed on a Rainy Tuesday. Join two elementary principals as they declassify the files on their successful operation to combat chronic absenteeism. In this 45-minute briefing, we will detail how we infiltrated the hearts and minds of reluctant students (and their caregivers) to boost attendance rates and keep the DESE accountability agents happy.

Expect a fast-paced debrief on:
The Gadgets: Creative incentives that actually work (and cost less than a spy plane).
The Intel: Using data without needing a degree in cryptography.
The Negotiation: Communication strategies that turn "I’m tired" into "I’m here."

This message will not self-destruct, but our chronic absenteeism rates did (improve)—and yours can too. Come for the laughs, stay for the strategies that actually get kids through the door.