Friday, August 29, 2008

If you pay them, they will learn?

This just doesn't make any sense to me, but I guess it's what the world is coming to (man, that makes me sound old). Washington, D.C. officials announced a new incentive program that will pay middle schoolers up to $100 a month for, well... being students. The pilot program, called Capital Gains is similar to one being run in NYC and gives students the opportunity to earn cash money for attending class, doing homework, getting good grades and staying out of trouble. Isn't that what kids are supposed to do? I would've loved to have something like that when I was in school. Instead, my incentive for doing all of that stuff was keeping my parents off of my ass... a "program" that seemed to be pretty effective. But I guess in a city where only 36% of middle schoolers are proficient in reading and 33% in math, it's worth a try.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I dont think "it worth a try". This will be abused just like the summer "jobs" program and the multitudes who found ways to cheat the system. If the POS dont want to help themselves why should anyone else need to pay them to do what they are supposed to do in the first place -- act civilized, show up and show up on time, do the homework, dress according to the norm of the school system.....Oh, too much to ask? Then stay the f out of school and wind up dead or incarcerated in a few years.