Should children be paid to learn?

[Calandra Chapman-Blount]

Should children be paid to learn? This controversial experiment is being conducted in a NY school where a group of 4th graders are participating in this program. Each student will be paid $25 for each passing test grade-they have the opportunity to earn $250 for the school year. As educators, do you think that this is a great incentive to help our youth (in innner city or in low socioeconomic areas)?

[Lakeshia Smith Moody]

I heard about the incentive program while watching the documentary "Black in America" on CNN. I really have mixed feelings because I believe that students need to be self motivated. Someone may not always be able to give them money for passing a test. What happens to the student's performance level when that incentive is removed? Will they continue to be successful or will their be a decrease in their progress. I feel that if we provide our students with attractive schools, quality teachers, and increased opportunities to participate in extracurricular activities, that their motivation will also increase. However, that is my ideal of the way things should be. The brutal reality is that we are loosing too many of boys and girls because they have no motivation for learning. At this point in my career, I just say do what every it takes to get our students to learn and let's see what works and what does not work. Hey, it may not be any different from what we as teachers do. Many of us pursue additional degrees for the sole purpose of obtaining an increase in pay.

[Jakki (Henderson) Clinton]

I personally don't think children should be paid to learn. Their payment is when they're able to graduate from high school and college and are able to get a job.

I work in a state (California) where at one time teachers were given an monetary incentive for their students to pass the state test. This encouraged teaching to the test and cheating. There was a school whose scores were really high. Each teacher received $13,000. The administrators received more than that and of course the school received a lot of money. There was a big controversy and that incentive is no longer in practice. Now, that same school test scores are really low.

So I feel that monetary rewards should not be given to students or teachers. The students have a job to do and their reward will be an education.

[Tamaka Lafftte Kidd]

no. i have serious doubts about that program

[Dawna]

I think its a good idea to have children get paid if they r having trouble staying in school because they want to get jobs and work for money so instead they should get paid to learn so they get their education and dont need to work.

[JoAnne Stovall Gray, Ed.D]

No!

[JoAnne Stovall Gray, Ed.D]

I am familiar with this program and am impressed with the progress the children are making and the program as a hold. I like what I've seen re parent involvement and the ability of the children to communicate their learnings. However, I am apprehensive about the long term affect this program of paying children to learn will have on future progress and learning in general as far as expectations. I think age has a lot to do with this methodology, maybe it would be better to pay older students who may understand the token economy process better. I say this because I attempted to use a token economy incentive program with my elementary school age nephews (3) and one niece. The youngest child tended to do better than the others and felt that he should not receive his incentive because it would cost me too much to pay him (He initiated the phone call). His request was to just give to the others who did not do as well. I quietly discontinued the program after talking with him and none of the children asked about the program again. I have not read any research that shows the outcome.

[John Thomas (J.T.)]

I saw this last summer by watching "Blacks in America" on CNN. As I stated earlier I have mixed reviews regarding this issue because teacher bonuses are linked to student test performance especially here in the Houston Public School System. I must say it truly gives one motivation but on the flip in of the spectrum I love teaching (somedays)...LOL... Some students are truly instisically motivated about learning and most are in school because they have to be there. Todays kids need tangible incentives to be in school. If not, the streets and the dope game will get alot of our males across the nation. I feel that American schools should re-imeplement vocational studies to students with some type of stipend. My idea might seem unrealistic but I would rather see them learn a trade in high school rather than learn it prison. One the other hand, have reward systems in place for honor roll students as well.