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Chicago schools paying for good grades

by Tina Kells | September 12, 2008 at 01:22 pm

971 views | 5 Recommendations | 6 comments

Will kids work harder in school if they're paid for good grades? Chicago schools are banking that they will by offering cash to students who do well in the five core subjects of; English, Math, Science, Socials and Phys Ed.

Under a program debuting this year in 20 Chicago public high schools, straight A's can translate into earnings of $4,000 and straight Cs can yield kids $1,600. The money can be earned in increments of $50 for each A, $35 for each B and $20 for each C in English, math, science, social science and physical education. The money would be paid in five-week reporting periods.

Qualifying students will get only half their earnings up front. They have to graduate to get the other half.

Duncan says the program is an incentive, not bribery as some have called it. He said the program, funded through private donations, is intended to discourage failure and to encourage kids to graduate.

Grades ranging from A's to C's will be rewarded with cash payments. The goal of the program is to encourage students to finish school.

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JeffHuang

at 13:34 on September 12th, 2008

You get paid for Cs!? Theres going to be some rich kids around school

I wonder if they thought about the consequences. If kids get more money, where do you think they're going to spend it on. Lets just hope not on drugs but on candies. But then we'll have an obesity problem.

Lets see whos going to get the money. Oh right, the less-cool kids with thick glasses. I hope they don't get bullied too much over their money.

No good can come out of this!

Mikasi

at 16:22 on September 12th, 2008

Welcome to my country - and even my area of the country - Mr. Huang. Sad isn't it?

juwee1

at 12:08 on September 13th, 2008

I think this is an effort to help kids put a little money in their pocket, without the stress of carrying a full load at school and then working on top of that. Those students that really apply themselves will get the most benefit & payoff in life. Self-discipline, self-motivation & good old fashioned hard work determine success. The idea behind this is good, but I don't think it will work overall. It may help students focus the on their studies, but learning to apply yourself is a lesson that is probably not best learned by being paid to do it.