Erica Peterson
Transforming attendance from a compliance issue into a connection strategy
San Francisco, California, United States
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Erica Peterson is the State Director of the California Association of Supervisors of Child Welfare & Attendance (CASCWA), where she works alongside educational leaders across California to advance student attendance, engagement, wellness, and equitable access to learning. She leads statewide initiatives focused on chronic absenteeism prevention, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), student well-being, school climate, and cross-sector collaboration that strengthen outcomes for children and families.
With more than two decades of experience in educational leadership, strategic communications, and systems development, Erica has helped elevate statewide conversations around attendance as a critical indicator of student connection, belonging, and opportunity. She collaborates with school districts, county offices of education, state agencies, and community partners to promote practical, student-centered approaches that remove barriers to success and support the whole child.
Erica is passionate about empowering educational leaders to build resilient systems where every student feels physically, emotionally, and academically connected to school. Outside of her professional work, she is a proud mom who believes deeply in the power of relationships, compassion, and community to transform student outcomes.
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Beyond Attendance: Building Systems of Belonging, Wellness, and Student Engagement
This session explores how districts are rethinking chronic absenteeism through a whole-child, MTSS-aligned approach that prioritizes student connection, wellness, and belonging. Rather than treating attendance as a compliance issue, district leaders will share how they are integrating student services, SEL, family engagement, behavioral health supports, and data-informed practices to remove barriers that prevent students from fully engaging in school.
Through real-world district examples and practical implementation strategies, presenters will highlight how cross-functional leadership teams are building systems that reconnect students to learning while improving school climate, engagement, and outcomes. Participants will engage in discussion and reflection focused on scalable practices that can be adapted across diverse school communities.
Aligned with the 2027 Every Child Counts Symposium theme, “Desert Bloom: Leading Systems in Challenging Landscapes,” this session emphasizes how resilient, student-centered systems can help every child thrive, even amid increasing social, emotional, and educational challenges.
Key Audience Takeaways:
• Identify systems-level factors contributing to chronic absenteeism and student disengagement.
• Apply MTSS-aligned strategies that strengthen student belonging, wellness, and family partnership.
• Leave with practical tools and district-tested approaches that can be implemented immediately to improve attendance and student outcomes.
Erica Peterson
Transforming attendance from a compliance issue into a connection strategy
San Francisco, California, United States
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