# An NFL Franchise Is Tackling Chronic Student Absenteeism. Here’s How March 18, 2025 *The Cleveland Browns are partnering with Ohio schools to improve attendance* *Since the pandemic, chronic absenteeism has loomed large. Educators are seeking strategies and partners who can help tackle it. Well, getting kids back to school is one place where it’s long struck me that professional sports franchises could make a big difference. After all, professional athletes live daily with a show-up-early, work-hard routine. Indeed, of the teen and tween role models—like actors, social media influencers, and singers—athletes may be the ones with the most obvious ties to schools, colleges, and a grind-it-out ethos. When I learned the Cleveland Browns have spent a decade partnering with Ohio schools to improve attendance and launched the Stay in the Game! Attendance Network in 2019, I wanted to learn more. I recently had the chance to chat with team owner Dee Haslam about the effort. Here’s what she had to say:* —Rick **Rick:** Dee, can you tell me a bit about the Browns’ efforts to combat chronic absenteeism? **Dee:** Stay in the Game! is a learning network that seeks to dramatically improve student attendance across Ohio. Our goal is to have 90 percent of students attend school more than 90 percent of the time through a statewide attendance movement, partnerships, peer-to-peer learning, and proven practices. We partner with districts across Ohio, serving more than 495,000 students. Stay in the Game! is unique because we work with the National Football League’s Cleveland Browns and two Major League Soccer teams, the Columbus Crew and FC Cincinnati, to encourage students to attend school. The athletes are great examples of why it matters for students to show up every day. **RICK:** How did you decide to focus on this issue? **Dee:** When my husband Jimmy and I bought the Cleveland Browns in 2012, the franchise had several community-impact programs, which had a scattered impact. We chose to focus on education. It’s an issue we are passionate about, and Jimmy and I believe every child has the right to a quality education, no matter their Zip code. Around that time, we met with Cleveland’s superintendent of schools, Eric Gordon. He told us that Cleveland was dealing with chronic absenteeism and thought there was a pivotal role we could play. Our partnership with the district has been so valuable because they wanted an early-intervention approach. We don’t want to wait until students are chronically absent. We also don’t think this issue should be solely the responsibility of the school or families—they must both be at the table, along with others in the community. Fortunately, as a sports team, our strength is organizing, convening, and bringing people to the table. Together, we realized that we could make a tremendous difference in the lives of kids. **Rick:** How does this partnership work? **Dee:** We are thrilled to have excellent founding partners in this work, including the Ohio education and workforce department, [Proving Ground](https://stayinthegame.org/about/#partners) at Harvard University’s Center for Education Policy Research, and our new network manager, [Battelle](https://www.battelle.org/insights/newsroom/press-release-details/battelle-joins-stay-in-the-game!-attendance-network-to-benefit-ohio-students), which has better positioned us to expand our reach across the state. What makes this partnership so strong is that each partner has a role and does what it does best. There is bipartisan consensus that chronic absenteeism is a problem, so we have been fortunate to find political support across the state, from school boards to the governor. Continue reading at [www.the74million.org](https://www.the74million.org/article/teaching-science-reading-together-yields-double-benefits-for-learning/?utm_source=The%2074%20Million%20Newsletter&utm_campaign=369f1ce157-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2022_07_27_07_47_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_077b986842-369f1ce157-177413880) See also:- [ In the News ](/cepr-in-the-news) - [ Proving Ground ](/projects/proving-ground) - [ 2025 ](/year/2025) Share on:- [ Facebook ](#) - [ Twitter ](#) - [ Linkedin ](#)