Gwinnett County Teacher of the Year uses sneakers to help students return to school.

At Gwinnett Intervention Education Center East, Dr. Candice Richardson started a 'Sneaker Spirit Squad' incentive for perfect weekly attendance and says attendance rates have nearly doubled; the Gwinnett County School District named her Teacher of the Year.

At an alternative high school in Gwinnett County, many students had long struggled with attendance and connection to school. Dr. Candice Richardson created a rewards program called the Sneaker Spirit Squad that lets students who have perfect attendance for a week wear their own sneakers for a day. Her approach draws on her prior work as a medical doctor and emphasizes warm daily greetings and holistic care for students. Key facts: - Richardson teaches at Gwinnett Intervention Education Center East, where students are often placed for attendance, academic, or behavioral issues. - The Sneaker Spirit Squad lets students trade required uniform shoes for personal sneakers one day after they earn a full week of perfect attendance. - Richardson reports that attendance rates are now nearly double what they were before the program began. - Students described the incentive as boosting confidence and motivation to come to school and do schoolwork. - Richardson said she draws on a medical background and greets students each morning with care and attention. - She buys sneakers for families who cannot afford them, and the district recognized her this year as Teacher of the Year. Summary: The sneaker incentive is reported to have raised attendance and positively affected some students' confidence and engagement. Undetermined at this time.