Paying Students to Attend High School

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   cardeleanposted 12 years ago

   A Cincinnati area high school is now going to pay students for showing up to school.  Seniors will receive a $25 Visa gift card and $5 put in a savings account.  Underclassmen will receive $10 gift card and $5.  Should students be paid to attend school?  What are your thoughts?

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      Eaglekiwiposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I was definately born in the wrong era,and my kids attending University are jealous...
      
      Gosh they work part time to pay for treats and or extra clothes.
      
      Goggle housing in Cincinatti as I type
      
      (Are they crazy? who pays for this?)

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         cardeleanposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         According to the report I read it is paid for partially by private funding and partially by the federal government.  The principal said that they have tried everything else and cannot get students to come to class. 
         
         I agree completely with you Eaglekiwi, I think it's nuts.

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      rlahaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Really? Paying students to attend school? What's next? Ugh.

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         cardeleanposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         I agree rlaha.  It is really crazy in my opinion.

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            rlahaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            Yes it is. I really hope that does not come into effect.  Children should be made to go to school until they graduate from high school. After that, they hopefully should be old enough to decide if they want to go on to college or just work for a while until they decide they want to go back to school.

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               cardeleanposted 12 years agoin reply to this

               AGREED!  It's called parenting!

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                  randomcreativeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  I agree, Cara.  Hopefully this is a trend that won't catch on in most places.

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                  rlahaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                  I hear you both ladies! I really hope it does not happen.  That would just be horrible!

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                     teaches12345posted 12 years agoin reply to this

                     High School students are still underage and under parental guidance and authority. They should be made to attend regardless of incentives.  Aren't we just giving them an excuse to sit back, enjoy the show and wait for the handouts?

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                        rlahaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

                        I completely agree with you teaches12345.  High school students should not get incentives should go to school.  They should be made to complete high school or at least a GED and then they can decide where and what they want to do.

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      pmccrayposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Our society is already going to hell in a hand basket as it is now you've got to bribe kids to do what's expected of them?  Whatever happen to putting parents behind bars when kids didn't attend school?  This is setting a bad precedent and a horrid message to youngsters.  It's hard to believe that learned, degree waving persons got together in a group and agreed that this was a plausible avenue.

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         cardeleanposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         I know, I couldn't believe it when I heard it.

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      Stevennix2001posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      damn it. i was born too soon. I wish someone had paid me to go to school when i was a kid.   What's next?  are the schools going to give out cash bonuses too for good grades?

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         Eaglekiwiposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Oh and hey bet they pay more than Google Adsense too!
         
         Yea lets go back to school darn it!

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   The Writers Dogposted 12 years ago

   Here in Australia, high school students may be able to receive 'Austudy', an allowance from the Federal Govt to cover fees, books, fares, etc.

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      Eaglekiwiposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Here in New Zealand ,students use Studylink,but I think the OP is about something over an above that.

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      cardeleanposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      High school students in the US have an opportunity to earn various scholarships toward their higher education as well as grants and loans from the Federal Government or private institutions. 
      
      This is simply a principal (whose school is under the radar for academic failure) trying to get students to come to class.

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         The Writers Dogposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Aah! Say no more

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         ThePracticalMommyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         So that's why! I wonder who's chipping in for the private funding...him perhaps? Geez...

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   momsterposted 12 years ago

   Must be nice to get paid to go to school. What happened to the parents in this situation making sure their kids are getting an education?

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      cardeleanposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Great question.  I thought it was part of our job as a parent...

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   Reality Bytesposted 12 years ago

   When I was in high school, I graduated due to credits received for working.  I would leave school at noon and go to a job.  If this was not available I would have had to quit school to work.  Coming from a single mom household my earnings were needed to survive.
   
   So although I was not paid directly by the school to attend, the wages were a necessity for me to continue my education.

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      cardeleanposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I understand exactly what you are talking about Reality Bytes, I participated in a similar program that I believe still exists these days.  The problem with this program as I see it is that it is paying students merely to show up school and behave.  It is not directly tied to a work study type of program, it only rewards students for attending classes that they should already be attending. 
      
      I'm all for helping families who need programs such as the ones that you are talking about.  I am not in favor of students who don't attend school now getting paid to show up so that the attendance rates can rise.

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   momsterposted 12 years ago

   In my opinion paying students to attend school opens a big door to worse situations later. What about the kids who do attend school, are they gonna get paid because they took on the responiblity to get an education? Are we the tax payers paying children who refuse to work on their education? and Why?
   I think paying the students is a bad idea and will later cause alot of problems in schools for those who put forth the effort and care where their life is leading them. Most parents are willing to pay for good grades and that is a reward. Students who chose not to put forth that effort should not be rewarded with a payment.
   There is so many ways to get an education and the hours for schooling have been flexable for many people. But if the child refuses to attend class than that seems like a lack of responsiblity on the parent(s). The school should not have to deal with that problem. The schools should be focusing on those who want to learn and keep them going so they finish. But this is my opinion.

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      cardeleanposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I agree COMPLETELY!  The school is under academic scrutiny and this is their way of trying to get attendance up.  How about holding the parents accountable?

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   Eric Newlandposted 12 years ago

   Just great. That had better be locally funded, because if it's coming out of state funds then I'm paying a bunch of screwups to keep a chair warm for six hours five days a week (honestly, if they have to be bribed just to show up what could they possibly be accomplishing when they're there?). I've already filed my taxes. I've already paid 535 people to keep much more expensive chairs warm. I'm done.

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      pmccrayposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      LOL . . amen

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      cardeleanposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      LOL, I started to write AMEN and then saw your response pmccray.  I guess great minds think alike!

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   Lindy's Worldposted 12 years ago

   This is so wrong!  What are we teaching our kids about responsibility?  Some things in life you just have to do.  The people who are funding this insanity should be ashamed.  In my humble opinion this is just leading to a lost generation.  What are these kids going to do when they get out in the real world? Also, why aren't the parents being penalized for not making their kids go to school?  So sad.

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      cardeleanposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      There is no responsibility and there in lies the problem.  I had a parent literally cuss me out last week because her son failed this past card marking because he missed 22/45 days of school.  We have truancy involved but she still refuses to take responsibility for not getting him to school.  It is VERY sad.

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   IzzyMposted 12 years ago

   When you see so many kids in poor countries having no education at all, perhaps the way to get kids to attend is to withdraw all educational facilities for a while. It won't take long until parents are up in arms, and demanding their kids are offered education. Oh and when they win, their kids WILL attend, or else LOL

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      cardeleanposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Great idea!  Trust me, I feel like a babysitter on most days.  Many parents in the district in which I work just see us a baby sitters, not educators.

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         IzzyMposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Therein lies the problem.
         
         You have kids that don't want to learn, and adults that couldn't care less so long as they are free to do what they want (which may well be working to pay their overheads to keep the family together).
         
         Education is wonderful but we have more than one generation who take it for granted, and who no longer see it as education, but something that has to be got through by whatever means, and the sooner they are done and out of it, the better.
         
         How do you change society's ideologies? They can't appreciate the benefits of an education until it is taken away.

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            cardeleanposted 12 years agoin reply to this

            If I had the answer to that, I'd be a millionaire! 

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   Mighty Momposted 12 years ago

   This is the worst idea I've heard in a long time.
   And we wonder about raising a generation of entitlement kings and queens!
   This teaches kids the absolute wrong message. If ever there was an institution that should be above bribery, it's school.
   Notwithstanding the fact that the amounts they are offering are puny incentives for today's pampered teen. I mean really, what can you even buy with $5*??
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   *For those who may no know my humor let me state categorically this last part is a joke. see, there's the smiley face.

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    TheMagicianposted 12 years ago

    As an 18 year old myself, I've gotta admit that getting paid to attend school would be lovely! Unfortunately, as a Senior graduating in May of this year, looks like I'm out of luck.
    
    I don't really see it as too bad. I mean, if the money is coming from private benefactors and not straight out of the pockets of taxpayers of course. It's just a little incentive. But if the money is coming from the state/county/etc. then I'm definitely not digging that. It would also cause kids to feel entitled... but still, I don't see such a big issue if they're just small incentives.

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    sofsposted 12 years ago

    I bet that Cincinnati schools are the finishing schools for spoiling kids... Haven't we done enough harm already??????
    
    Making them social security assistance ready !!!  Long live tax payers money! Way to go Cincinnati!

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    brimancandyposted 12 years ago

    No. I don't think schools should be paying kids to attend class. Just because a kid is getting paid to sit in a classroom isn't going to result in that student actually learning anything. We already have lazy employees who go to work every day and get paid to be there, who only show up because they get paid, and don't do a damn thing. I know, because I have worked with some of them.
    
    However, I think honoring students who excel with a gift card wouldn't hurt. I also think giving money to student just for showing up, might want to make those who are getting good grades to slack off. I know that good workers being around the slackers sure made from some unpleasant meetings. Why should one group of people work hard, when the group that does nothing gets the same reward? I think it's a very bad idea.
    
    Not only that, but I see the old stolen lunch money senario developing, where kids start going after other kids to get those cards. Very bad idea.

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    Eaglekiwiposted 12 years ago

    The really sad part is that the students who attend without any incentive (except to get good grades) will be missing out on resources now ,because the funding will be going to 'gift cards'.
    
    
    On a separate note welfare beneficiaries should not be able to collect ,if their child doesn't attend x amount of days..
    
    That ought to be incentive enough to be in school!
    
    
    How on earth will they learn to stick at a job,since the boss is not going to be handing out gift cards

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       brimancandyposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       I don't agree with your comment about people on welfare not getting the cards. If anything, it might give kids on welfare more incentive to keep going to school, and getting good grades, as they would see the benefit in doing so. If they are excluded they will likely be more discouraged about the world than they were before, not matter how much class they attend. But, like I mentioned in my earlier post, it should be based on their success, and not in just showing up for class.
       
       In short. If rich johnny skips class 24 days out of the year, and welfare johnny skips class 24 days out of the year, but they are both at the same grade point average. Which child are you going to deny a card?
       
       Many reasons why this system will fail, and fail miserably.

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          Eaglekiwiposted 12 years agoin reply to this

          No, perhaps you misunderstood me.
          
          In general I think the whole 'gifting' idea is ridiculous.
          Students are there to learn period, and there are many other ways to provide incentive ie (early finish ,no homework, free  subject choice time) oh there are many other ways to offer incentives-however they do take committment from teachers and /or other adults,so it is sad that the big people choose the easy option.
          
          The part you may have misunderstood is that IF a beneficiary is receiving a welfare check,than the contract is for them to care for their children-right? and part of that welfare is education.
          
          So, if the parents dont take care of the welfare (education) of their children ,why should the state be paying them to do so?

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    MsDoraposted 12 years ago

    The students may be asking, "Why bother to pursue education if it doesn't pay?"  Teachers make a fraction of what the lucky dropouts with talent make.  They may have figured that they can be successful even if they skip the classroom.

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    Eaglekiwiposted 12 years ago

    Well now the Cops are getting into the spirit of things
    
    http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/Poli … index.html
    
    
    Random acts of kindness!

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