Magic Johnson, Other Celebrities Call Truant Students

Would you go to school if Outkast's Big Boi told you to?

What about if Magic Johnson rang you up and said you had to get to class? Would you maybe reconsider your Big Day Off?

That's what the city's Department of Education is banking on. WakeUp NYC has enlisted a handful of celebrities to record robo-calls that will go out to students who have missed 20 days of school or more.

Johnson, Big Boi, R&B superstar Trey Songz and the Mets' Jose Reyes all lent their voices to the program, as did Mayor Bloomberg.

"Morning! It's me, Magic Johnson here," says the former Laker great in his recording. "I won five NBA championships and an Olympic gold medal, so I'm calling the shots today. Get up out of bed, into school, try hard, do well."

That should be motivation enough, according to Bloomberg.

"If that doesn't get you up out of bed and into school, I don't know what will," Bloomberg said. "There are days when the sun is shining and it might be more pleasurable to go out and play hookie, but you can't do that if you want to have a future. You got to show up!"

The DOE reports that truancy has dropped in most of the schools where the city has tested out the program.