When the teachers miss school, students miss out on new content, a structured environment, and more. Several studies have examined the relationship between teacher absenteeism and pupil achievement and found a strong connection. In fact, there appears to be a one-to-one relationship: a 10-day increase in teacher absence results in at least a 10-day learning loss for students (Griffith & Thomas, 2017). The National Council on Teacher Quality revealed that 16% of all teachers were classified as chronically absent because they missed 18 days or more of school during research that examined attendance for more than 234,000 teachers in 40 districts during the 2012-13 school year (Konz, 2014). This qualitative study aims to explore teacher perceptions about teacher absenteeism and the impact on the elementary (K-5) learning environment in the state of Virginia. The data for this study were collected through structured teacher interviews. Virginia teachers feel that work-related stress, physical and mental health, and student behaviors are the key reasons for teacher absenteeism. They also believe that teacher absenteeism has a huge impact not only the students but colleagues as well. The findings of this study indicate that district leadership should provide teachers with incentives, mental health days, and support for student behaviors in order to decrease teacher absenteeism issues. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]