Rethinking Perfect Attendance Awards

A Post-Pandemic Perspective

It's time we had an honest conversation about perfect attendance awards. While these recognitions may seem harmless—even positive—on the surface, they represent a fundamentally flawed approach to education that the COVID-19 pandemic should have taught us to abandon.

The Hard Lessons We Should Have Learned

The pandemic forced us to confront uncomfortable truths about our educational priorities. For months, we had to reimagine what learning could look like when physical presence wasn't possible. We discovered that education could continue, relationships could be maintained, and growth could happen even when students weren't sitting in classroom desks.

Yet somehow, as we've returned to "normal," many schools have reverted to old habits—including the continuation of perfect attendance awards and the underlying pressure they create.

Health Must Come First

The most glaring issue with perfect attendance culture is how it prioritizes physical presence over health and wellbeing. When we celebrate students who never miss a day, we're implicitly sending the message that showing up matters more than taking care of yourself.

This mindset encourages students to:

• Attend school while sick, potentially spreading illness to classmates and teachers

• Ignore mental health needs that might require a day of rest or professional support

• Push through physical symptoms rather than seeking appropriate medical care

In a post-pandemic world, this approach isn't just counterproductive—it's dangerous.

The Reality of Student Lives

Perfect attendance awards also reveal a troubling disconnect between school expectations and student realities. Many students face challenges that make consistent attendance genuinely difficult:

Chronic illness and disability: Students managing ongoing health conditions may require regular medical appointments or occasional rest days to maintain their wellbeing.

Family emergencies and responsibilities: Some students serve as caregivers for siblings or family members, or face housing instability that disrupts their daily routines.

Mental health struggles: Anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges can make school attendance difficult on certain days, and forcing attendance can sometimes worsen these conditions.

Economic instability: Students from low-income families may miss school due to housing issues, lack of transportation, or the need to work to support their families.

A Question of Privilege

Perhaps most concerning is how perfect attendance awards often function as recognition of privilege rather than achievement. Students who receive these awards typically have:

• Stable home environments with consistent routines

• Access to healthcare that keeps them healthy

• Parents or guardians who can provide reliable transportation

• Economic security that doesn't require them to work or care for family members

• Generally good health that doesn't require frequent medical attention

Meanwhile, students facing greater challenges—who may actually demonstrate more resilience and determination just by showing up most days—are overlooked because their attendance doesn't meet an arbitrary standard of perfection.

A Better Way Forward

Instead of celebrating perfect attendance, schools should foster a culture that values the whole student. This means recognizing qualities that truly matter:

Resilience: Acknowledging students who overcome significant challenges to succeed academically and personally.

Kindness and empathy: Celebrating students who support their peers, show compassion, and contribute positively to school culture.

Creativity and innovation: Recognizing students who think outside the box, contribute unique perspectives, or engage in creative problem-solving.

Effort and growth: Honoring students who show improvement, work hard regardless of natural ability, or persist through difficulties.

Community contribution: Appreciating students who volunteer, help others, or work to make their school or community better.

Creating Compassionate Schools

The shift away from perfect attendance awards is about more than changing recognition criteria—it's about fundamentally reimagining what we value in education. Schools should be places where:

• Students feel safe taking mental health days when needed

• Families don't feel pressured to send sick children to school

• Flexibility is built into systems to accommodate diverse student needs

• Support is provided for students facing attendance challenges rather than punishment or exclusion from recognition

Moving Forward

The pandemic gave us a unique opportunity to reset our educational priorities. We learned that learning can happen in many forms, that student wellbeing is paramount, and that rigid systems often fail our most vulnerable learners.

As we continue to navigate post-pandemic education, let's make sure we're building systems that support all students—not just those privileged enough to achieve "perfect" attendance. It's time to retire perfect attendance awards and replace them with recognition that reflects the full spectrum of student achievement and character.

Our students deserve better than a system that mistakes physical presence for engagement, that rewards privilege while marginalizing struggle, and that ignores the complex realities of young people's lives. They deserve a system that sees them as whole human beings—not just bodies in seats.

In Harrisburg

Cyber Charter Reform – Statewide Direct-Pay System

Senator Scott Martin advocates for legislation that would reform cyber charter school funding in Pennsylvania by shifting tuition payments from school districts to the state, establishing a statewide tuition rate aligned with operational costs, and promoting financial relief for districts while supporting online learning options for students.

Grow Our Own Educators in Pennsylvania

Senator Carolyn Comitta is championing new legislation to address Pennsylvania’s growing teacher shortage through a “Grow Your Own” Educators program. This initiative focuses on recruiting and supporting community members who are already engaged with local school districts to become qualified teachers, especially in high-need areas like math, science, special education, and ESL.

Cyber Charter School Wellness Checks

Senator Tracy Pennycuick is introducing legislation aimed at improving wellness checks for students enrolled in cyber charter schools in Pennsylvania. The bill seeks to ensure that remote students are visibly seen and communicated with in real time by school representatives to satisfy wellness check requirements mandated by Act 55 of 2024.

School Libraries in all Public Schools

Representative Greg Scott is proposing legislation to require all public schools in Pennsylvania to maintain adequate library collections, similar to the standards imposed on private schools and colleges. This measure aims to close the equity gap by ensuring that every public school student has access to essential educational resources and safe learning spaces.

PA Read Together Peer Tutoring Program

Representative Jason Ortitay is introducing legislation to establish the PA Read Together Peer Tutoring Program, designed to improve early reading proficiency among kindergarten to second-grade students in Pennsylvania. The program will be led by trained high school students from the same communities, providing structured, evidence-based literacy tutoring during after-school or summer sessions starting in the 2026–27 school year.

In The Headlines

Pennsylvania educators are continuing to leave the profession, adding to teacher shortage

The article discusses the ongoing shortage and high turnover rates of teachers in Pennsylvania, highlighting factors contributing to attrition, the impact on schools, and potential solutions to address the crisis.

Sen. Baker, Sen. Culver host roundtable on rural school funding

Pennsylvania senators Lisa Baker and Lynda Culver hosted a roundtable discussion with education stakeholders at Northwest Area School District to address the ongoing funding and resource challenges faced by rural schools. The event highlighted issues such as funding disparities, cyber charter school costs, teacher recruitment, and the need for equitable support to ensure rural districts can provide quality education and sustain economic growth.

Are 500 school districts too many? Pennsylvania lawmaker eyes consolidation to 100

Pennsylvania State Rep. Greg Scott is proposing legislation to study reducing the state's 500 public school districts to 100, aiming to cut administrative costs and lower property taxes. This effort mirrors a similar campaign by former Gov. Ed Rendell in 2009, which stalled due to concerns over potential job losses and school closures. Scott highlights the ongoing funding disparities and increasing costs, advocating for a more efficient school system that provides equitable education for all students.