Attendance Incentives

Topic: Teacher Attendance/Support

Rock Hill Schools has developed a system to show appreciation to teachers for showing up for students each and every day. The “Friday Attendance Incentive Program” allows community members to join the district in showing appreciation for teachers who have come to work on Friday.

Overview

By the time Friday comes, there is an uptick in teacher call outs and substitutes are needed. To encourage teachers to not call out on Friday, the district recruited donors to incentivize teacher attendance. Each Friday district executive-level leaders visit a classroom and surprise the teacher with a gift card and other forms of appreciation. The teacher is also recognized on district-level social media platforms. Prizes range between $100 and $500.

While school district officials cannot purchase VISA Gift cards, community organizations can. Cards are donated by a single source for each Friday of the entire year to ensure an award for each school week. Then, any additional community group looking to donate, can join any Friday as a bonus.

The Result
After one year of the attendance incentive, our teacher absences were down by 131 total on Fridays in 2023-2024. Our teacher feedback noted having cabinet members and the Superintendent visit their classrooms was a special part of the program, too.