Paying for grades?

[destiny]

http://www.nowpublic.com/culture/chicago-schools-paying-good-grades

Honestly with a kid who gets straight A's I would find this program very beneficial in saving for her college, but.....it has never sat right with me, even parents giving money to kids for good grades.  I have always felt that children should do well because they want to, self pride type of thing.  While I realize that some may lack motivation, this just doesn't sit right with me.  I am wondering what thoughts our educators have on this type of program?  Maybe rather than paying it can go into a college fund that must be used for college?

[24hrlib]

My son Max takes part in the TAG program in our area.  He was paid to go to a college not far from us a few years back during summer after his freshman year.  A friend of mine, also a single mother, has a son who's brilliant in mathematics.  He was paid $1000 this summer for going to the University of Iowa.  Both the programs our children participated in are geared for families with strapped incomes who find it difficult to send their children off for further education.  The catch here is the money has been placed into a fund which grows in interest and can be used for college once out of high school.  Both our son's felt a lot of encouragement in these programs that acknowledged them as being important enough to succeed.

I agree paying out right cash for good grades is rather silly.  When it is the self-esteem one gets from success that is most important.  It makes me wonder when does Capitalization go to far?  Although, incentives from scholarship programs is nothing new.  What's new are the twist being brought to the programs.  

[destiny]

Exactly, I think scholarship type programs to pay for more education to reward good grades make sense but giving money they can go blow at the mall ? Doesn't seem very productive to me, at least long term.

[Ksvoboda]

I think this sounds like a program that Bloomberg started in New York city.  Here's something that is going on in Kalamazoo, Michigan which I think has great potential for that community.  I live about an hour south of Kalamazoo near the Indiana border.
https://www.kalamazoopromise.com/?mode.page.view=76

[24hrlib]

What a great program, boda, and it keeps the funds in the state of Michigan where they are badly need economically. 

[Ksvoboda]

When it was announced a few years ago, it was really exciting.  I think it has the potential to motivate students at the bottom of the spectrum that maybe never thought they'd be able to go to school.  It also builds that community spirit because it is based on staying in the community and becoming a part of it.

[destiny]

See I prefer the way your programs work.  Here its just motivation for short term gain and to graduate high school, your programs are to get them to get a college education which is way longer term, like a lifetime of payoff. 

[24hrlib]

It's really unfair of the folks in Illinois to just look at getting students through high school.  It makes me curious as to why they stop there?  Who are they trying to please? 

[destiny]

NCLB?

[24hrlib]

Bingo! 

[kenshin]

My son Max takes part in the TAG program in our area.  He was paid to go to a college not far from us a few years back during summer after his freshman year.  A friend of mine, also a single mother, has a son who's brilliant in mathematics.  He was paid $1000 this summer for going to the University of Iowa.  Both the programs our children participated in are geared for families with strapped incomes who find it difficult to send their children off for further education.  The catch here is the money has been placed into a fund which grows in interest and can be used for college once out of high school.  Both our son's felt a lot of encouragement in these programs that acknowledged them as being important enough to succeed.

I agree paying out right cash for good grades is rather silly.  When it is the self-esteem one gets from success that is most important.  It makes me wonder when does Capitalization go to far?  Although, incentives from scholarship programs is nothing new.  What's new are the twist being brought to the programs.   

that program sounds neat, but i wonder if the rising prices of college tuition will keep up with a scholarship program like that.  i've talked to way too many people who were either scammed into bad loans for college, or not told the whole story about the loans they took out...kinda like the subprime crisis, but with college education...you'd think that the colleges would be about teaching you important stuff, like how to calculate the payments you'll have after you graduate, and how you can't possibly make that much straight out of college without working around the clock non-stop.

sorry, i'm way too cynical today.  i have to agree too, that paying kids for good grades is just weird.  wouldn't the money be better spent on better teachers?  that way, you'd be paying into an investment of better education for several classes of children for years to come.