Students paid to attend school

Yes, you read correctly, and it’s been happening in NY, Chicago, and now DC. I was prepared to hate the idea initially, but found this article which swayed me a bit.

I can tell you from my experience living in DC that something needs to be done to motivate those kids. I lived right across from Cardoza High School and would watch hundreds of kids streaming out in the afternoons. Maybe 10 would have backpacks on or be carrying books. They would fight in the streets and smoke weed right in front of the cops on school property. Education to those kids was a joke, a waste of time, and it was heartbreaking to watch.

Maybe $100 a week to attend classes, behave appropriately, and maintain good grades is not a bad initiative. The article points out that in wealthier areas, parents often reward their children with money for good grades…does this level the playing field a bit? Is it worth taking a chance on?

What do you think?