Shout out to my buddy Jules for the suggestion, first and most eminently. The issue of paying children to attend and excel in school (in core classes) is apparently brewing throughout the nation as some specific urban locations in cities such as Chicago, Washington D.C., and New York have already instituted such a program. The bill is still in the rudimentary stage as it is currently on the table for Detroit.
I thought i heard of this in Atlanta before but maybe not. The article i read cited a particular instance in New York where a school has risen from the doldrums to achieve laudable results due to students receiving pay. The language on the bill states that students could earn up to $2000. I think i am 40/60 (good/bad)on this, on the surface this seems like a good idea but i think that it wouldn't benefit that many in the long run. Some students will pick up their performance to attain money, some probably will not, and some may cheat; but that's not the measuring stick. I believe that children should understand the concept of bettering yourself, often times that doesn't directly offer you a reward. As I channel my inner psychologist, i think that this will induce children to associate school/learning with money, but what will happen when/if they head off to college and the tables are reversed as they have to pay to attend school. Will they then feel like it is not worth it? I also think you can't make everything about money, because their are other things kids can do to obtain money, especially as they live out their teenage years. If your motivation is primarily the money then this offer won't hold your attention. I do understand that some would lose interest regardless but i think it sets the wrong idea.
More importantly the issue of funding this is stifling, in D.C. the program costs $2.7 million a year. For a city like Detroit struggling with a deficit it does not seem wise (although they did mention funding from elsewhere). I would have to contend that families need to encourage their children to try their best and your reward comes down the line, when you get accepted into whatever school you want or you land that job/internship. Instant gratification is another problem we often have but that's a topic for another day.
However as i stated earlier i do not think it is all bad. I think for some this will work and serve as sufficient motivation. I also understand the notion of getting results no matter how you get them, I wrote a blog a while back that talked about motivation coming in many forms. Also perhaps this will help some households that deal with money issues by allowing even the smallest of kids to contribute. As most of the 'Sofa knows i am all about the mindset though, you can't let the situation determine your mindset, you have to have the right mindset no matter the situation.
I thought i heard of this in Atlanta before but maybe not. The article i read cited a particular instance in New York where a school has risen from the doldrums to achieve laudable results due to students receiving pay. The language on the bill states that students could earn up to $2000. I think i am 40/60 (good/bad)on this, on the surface this seems like a good idea but i think that it wouldn't benefit that many in the long run. Some students will pick up their performance to attain money, some probably will not, and some may cheat; but that's not the measuring stick. I believe that children should understand the concept of bettering yourself, often times that doesn't directly offer you a reward. As I channel my inner psychologist, i think that this will induce children to associate school/learning with money, but what will happen when/if they head off to college and the tables are reversed as they have to pay to attend school. Will they then feel like it is not worth it? I also think you can't make everything about money, because their are other things kids can do to obtain money, especially as they live out their teenage years. If your motivation is primarily the money then this offer won't hold your attention. I do understand that some would lose interest regardless but i think it sets the wrong idea.
More importantly the issue of funding this is stifling, in D.C. the program costs $2.7 million a year. For a city like Detroit struggling with a deficit it does not seem wise (although they did mention funding from elsewhere). I would have to contend that families need to encourage their children to try their best and your reward comes down the line, when you get accepted into whatever school you want or you land that job/internship. Instant gratification is another problem we often have but that's a topic for another day.
However as i stated earlier i do not think it is all bad. I think for some this will work and serve as sufficient motivation. I also understand the notion of getting results no matter how you get them, I wrote a blog a while back that talked about motivation coming in many forms. Also perhaps this will help some households that deal with money issues by allowing even the smallest of kids to contribute. As most of the 'Sofa knows i am all about the mindset though, you can't let the situation determine your mindset, you have to have the right mindset no matter the situation.
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