Academic Welfare

Here's an idea. Lets give every failing student an America's urban schools access to an Independence Card and sign them up for Food Stamps right away. That way we avoid the pretence that schools are really preparing them to do anything else with their lives other than become dependent on the state. Because clearly this new ridiculous scheme of "Pay to Learn" being touted in cities like New York and Washington DC will yield nothing other than kids who believe that they have earned something by failing to perform.

Instead of facing the fact that we have simply failed to educate students, school leaders in major American cities are now offering cold, hard cash as a lure for learning. This is an extremely dangerous precedent that will eventually convince students, largely African American and Hispanic, that failure is to be rewarded. Conversely, students may actually seek to fail believing that by doing so; the system will be forced to pay them to improve.

We are not so completely bankrupt of ideas in education that we have to now bribe kids to read, write and compute. The achievement gap that exists between black and white students has been prevasive for decades. This "pay me to learn" trick is the latest in a long line of inept and mis-guided efforts to address an issue that extends far beyond the ability of the school to handle on its own.

In an recent NBC News story it was reported that almost $3 Million dollars has been secured, through grants and other sources, for a project in DC entitled "Capital Gains." Under the program, students who have traditionally failed to meet academic standards can earn as much as $100 every two weeks for studying and improving their scholastic performance.

While students seem more engaged, there is no real evidence that the "facts" they are memorizing is connected to a larger body of knowledge. The question of whether there is a congitive connection with the overall learning objectives remain in question.

Throughout the conversation with Michelle Rhee, the DC schools chancellor, not once was parental responsibility used as a means of ensuring student success. Do parents matter to Ms. Rhee, or has she unilaterally decided that "she knows best?"

This is an ill-conceived, short sighted ideology. In the absence of financial inducements, will students still be as motivated to learn? How will this financial burden be sustained by the school system once the private money has dried up? Do we want short term impulses or do we want long term academic success?

Our urban children are not lab rats to be victimized by every hair-brained experiment. They will have to compete in a world that does not, and will not, entice them with goodies for failing to perform. Ms. Rhee is a hard headed, stubborn, educational novice. She is recklessly "throwing everything we can at the problem," while ignoring sound advise from those who know better.
This trial and error mentality is not justified. It will only leave disaster in its wake.

Perhaps it would not be as insulting if wealthy, suburban communities were also made part of this exercise. After all, the best schools in the United States can harldly compete with avergae schools in other industrialized nations around the world. Why do we not offer this same experiment in the suburbs? We won't because well informed parents know better and would not allow their children to be turned into guinea pigs in this manner.

There are real solutions to the problems that plague urban schools. We have experienced, qualified and talented educators whose voices are being snuffed out and ignored for the sake a trendy new idea that does not stand a chance at success.

All I can say is get the Food Stamps ready.