An Interesting Idea and Maybe a Well-Written Article

I ran across this article that was linked on one of the many blogs I read about paying kids to get good grades or to read books. I like the idea since I would have made quite a bit of money, even without lying about how many books I read.

Now, I have two comments about this article. First, I appreciate the fact that the author wrote this, and I am directly quoting, "a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a left-leaning research organization." Now, for some people, this may not look like very much, but to someone like me who pays attention, this is like announcing that some famous world leader has died in office. It is not very usual. You see, while the Brookings Institution is left-leaning, it isn't often described that way. Usually it is just a think-tank. Now, compare that with its right-leaning counterpart, the Heritage Foundation. When that is mentioned, well, when it is, it is always, "The Heritage Foundation, a right-wing think tank." Even in the same article, you could have both mentioned, Brookings a "think-tank" and Heritage "right-wing." So it is nice to see some mention of the actual policies that Brookings comes up with. Now if only they would either start using "left-wing" or drop "right-wing," all would be good.

My second response to this article is in reference to one of the idiots quoted. How do I know the person is an idiot? Why, their quote points it out. Here is the quote from the article encompassing the direct quote from the idiotic woman.

“It makes me really nervous,” said Maggie Siena, the principal of Public School 150 in TriBeCa. “I suspect paying kids for achievement in any way tends not to work.”

Hmmm...could she be telling the truth? Nah, no way. Okay, time to be obscenely obvious for a second. Kids are like adults, only younger. So it is natural to figure that kids, basing their actions on adult role models, would actually act the same way as adults would to an incentive. Follow that? So now, how would an adult act if they were paid to learn? Would that "tend not to work?" Hmm...yeah, about that. You see, if paying someone for achievement DIDN'T work, then there would be no such thing as performance bonuses or heck, even employment for that matter. Think about a teachers' union. Don't they basically get paid for showing up and trying to teach? What do you think that is? Isn't that paying for achievement? Sure, I know there are probably some really crappy schools out there that pay teachers to NOT show up, but ever hear the teachers' unions complain when those are brought up? Oh, loud and angry does not do it justice.

So, do I think kids would be willing to learn for money? Yep, just as adults learn for money when a job has them take a training class or something. Would there be cheating? Oh heck yeah. But does that mean we shouldn't implement the idea, that the idea is bogus because the possibility for cheating is out there? Yeah, tell you what, if you believe that one, YOU can pay my taxes this year. Cause think about it, how many people cheat on their taxes and yet, we don't abolish the tax code. No, we add to it, in an effort to stop the cheating. So odds are, this program would have controls in place.

Now, if only it wasn't government run, I would get on board right now. However, it is private money, but a public program. And thus, just like the crappy schools it is an attempt to make up for, it probably won't work. But, at least it is an idea.