My child may never earn a perfect attendance award. I'm fine with that.
As a parent, I think perfect-attendance awards send kids the wrong message. I rather the schools reward effort instead of an unbroken streak.
A mother in rural North Carolina expressed her disapproval of perfect attendance awards for children. She believes that healthcare appointments and other responsibilities often prevent kids from earning such certificates. The author stated that perfect attendance isn't necessarily a measure of a child's effort, as illnesses, specialist appointments, and other factors can impact attendance.
She would prefer schools to reward kids for making progress rather than for never missing a day. The author shared her personal experience of taking her child out of school for healthcare appointments and feeling guilty about it. She emphasized that every family has unique circumstances that affect their child's attendance. The author argued that schools should recognize persistence and improvements in attendance, rather than focusing on perfect attendance.
She concluded that she would continue to take her child to appointments and feel guilty when necessary, but would support schools in recognizing the efforts of children who overcome challenges and improve their attendance.
Written by urgent.news from Business Insider's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
