Teacher absences worse in Chicago's poorest schools

CHICAGO (AP) - A published report says one in four Chicago Public Schools teachers missed more than 10 days of school a year.

The Chicago Sun-Times (http://bit.ly/2fmK6Pr ) based its analysis on 2013-2014 data from the Illinois State Board of Education. The state board has started reporting teacher absences on the annual school report cards it puts out in the fall.

The numbers include teachers taking maternity leave and other short-term disability leaves, as well as regular sick days.

Experts say teacher absenteeism can affect student performance.

The Sun-Times report says teacher absenteeism is worse in the district's poorest schools. Jackson Potter of the Chicago Teachers Union says that's not surprising because the school district has created conditions that take a toll on teachers and the poorest schools shoulder the majority of budget cuts.

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Information from: Chicago Sun-Times, http://chicago.suntimes.com/