Two news stories just days apart -- from Houston and St. Louis -- are morbidly interesting and hugely disturbing.
Private foundations in both cities are planning to pay out enormous amounts of money to families whose children attend underperforming schools in an effort to get those kids to make better grades and show up for class.
The Houston ISD is going to pay families in 25 schools up to $1020 for their children to master 200 math concepts and pass 5-question tests with at least 4 correct answers. The parents have to attend nine parent-teacher meetings throughout the year. Some of the meetings will focus on financial management, surely a primary purpose of our public school system. (Snark)
A St. Louis elementary school is also offering its students private foundation money to show up for class -- up to $900 per family. Students must have near-perfect attendance at the end of each semester and parents must attend three PTO meetings.
Is public education in some places so crappy now that the only way to get kids to show up is to bribe them?
Guess so.
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