Doris Haizlip Sanders

1927 - 2004

Obituary as published in the Washington Post on April 28

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D.C. School Attendance Officer Doris Sanders Dies at 77

By Patricia Sullivan
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 28, 2004; Page B06

Doris Haizlip Sanders, 77, a retired public school administrator who for 40 years encouraged and cajoled students, insisting that they show up for school each day, died of a heart attack April 22 at Washington Hospital Center.

She retired as chief of school attendance for the D.C. public schools in 1996, after devoting more than four decades to promoting school attendance. She started as an attendance officer at the now-closed Stewart Junior High School in the 1950s and made countless home visits to speak to the parents or guardians of truants.

Mrs. Sanders was aware of how other social problems affected school attendance and worked with families to address those problems, said her daughter, Cheryl Sanders, of Washington. "Any problem she encountered, she worked diligently to find a solution," the daughter said. "She refused to be stumped by any problem. She never gave up."

Mrs. Sanders, a native Washingtonian and a lifelong resident, was a graduate of Dunbar High School and Howard University, where she received a bachelor's degree in psychology in 1948 and a master's degree in social work in 1951.

An example of the challenges she encountered was illustrated in 1992, when one-fifth of the District's students were absent on any given day. The school system tried incentive programs that provided public recognition for near-perfect attendance, and it offered awards, including concert tickets, for students who had outstanding attendance records.

That same year, The Washington Post reported a court hearing for a 12-year-old boy who missed most of the school year because he said he was afraid of being assaulted.

According to the story, Mrs. Sanders told the judge: "We certainly feel that one of the things we should provide for a child is a safe and secure environment. If for any reason we feel that a child has any fears, we immediately investigate that problem and make an adjustment to it. If this youngster had any fears about going to school, it should have been shared with his counselor. We would have investigated to find out whether it was related to a family situation, a neighborhood situation or a school incident."

Before her employment in the school system, Mrs. Sanders did social work at the Maryland state mental hospital in Crownsville and bookkeeping for the Census Bureau in Suitland.

She enjoyed traveling with her husband to church and professional conventions throughout the United States and to destinations in Africa, Asia, Australia and Europe. She also took delight in New York excursions to see Broadway musicals and other performances. Her hobbies included gardening and interior decorating.

Throughout her life, she was a member of the Third Street Church of God, where she was involved in visitation, bereavement counseling, altar preparation and fundraising. She was a Sunday school teacher and superintendent, youth worker and camp counselor.

She contributed to the organization and growth of the national In-Service Training Institute, a continuing education program that has provided training for church workers for nearly 50 years. Each year, she attended the National Association of the Church of God's annual camp meeting in western Pennsylvania, where she maintained a summer residence with her family.

She was a member of professional, community and service-oriented organizations that included the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.; Phi Delta Kappa International, an association of professional educators; the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Clubs Inc.; the National Association of Social Workers; the American Association of University Women; the International Association for Truancy and Dropout Prevention; and the Shepherd Park Citizens Association.

In addition to her daughter, survivors include her husband of 54 years, Wallace Sanders Jr.; a son, Eric Sanders; and two grandchildren, all of Washington.

© 2004 The Washington Post Company