blog 10

I think it’s unfair to condemn schools for trying. Schools are severely underfunded and if the goal is to get more funding, where’s the evil? With better funding, schools can create a better learning environment. In the long run this will help more students. I think everyone agrees that these programs have the potential to help some students, obviously not all of them. That would be unrealistic but even if it helped a few, is it not worth it? For those who do it for the money, they will realize that money is not free rather worked for. And yes, sometimes in lousy ways. The point is schools can’t depend on the 'system' to help them so they have created funding for themselves. If, in the process, they can motivate students to do better, then go for it. Many kids can't participate in after-school programs or projects because they have to work to help support their families. Paying children for better grades may better the education system all together, especially for those whose parents can’t afford to provide any incentives for their children to do better in school. When children are offered an award from their parents if they get let’s say an A on a history paper, that child has more incentive to get an A then he did before, right? This sounds like a way to bridge the gap between earnings and school - to show kids that their education is valuable and important, and to keep them in school where they should be, rather than working an evening job at McDonalds. Whatever it takes for kids to improve their education would in turn help improve their self-esteem. It may give them just the encouragement they need to "make something of themselves".