Possible Solutions??

[Genoobie]

Here's a potential solution. Take some of the money and turn it into a paycheck for the students. Those students who do the work earn points and get paid (just like a job, so life skill are learned here). Students who don't do the work, don't get paid. Plain and simple. The teacher becomes an overseer who decides what a good effort is and perhaps decides on promotions and so on. Kids would have an incentive to retain material and come to school. By the time they get to high school, the daily attendance would be so ingrained that they would probably pick school over street-life. Suburban kids would *want* to come to school in the city. Test scores would go up, all would be well again. $3000/yr/kid = about 17 / day. It would cost more, but it would probably fix *many* problems. Schools would get paid more because attendance would rise...etc. etc. Once education was attained, the program could be phased out as education really shouldn't have financial linkages (in spirit).

Regards

($3000/yr/kid * 30,000 kids, 90 million dollars (not that much really...BBOE budget, approximately 550M, so a 16% increase)
If a parent had 4 kids in school, that would be significant extra income for the parents, and perhaps boost the local economy too!

[run4it]

HOLY CRAP! What a HUGE probability of incredible corruption and extortion!!

HOLY CRAP! What an incredible example of 'thinking outside the box' that can really help all school systems!

[WNYresident]

They could do something with grades and a cash bonus at the end of the year.. no where near 3000 though... teach kids the better they do the more they get... this everyone get's a trophy mentality isn't something that teaches competativness.

[Enough]

Here's a potential solution. Take some of the money and turn it into a paycheck for the students. Those students who do the work earn points and get paid (just like a job, so life skill are learned here). Students who don't do the work, don't get paid. Plain and simple. The teacher becomes an overseer who decides what a good effort is and perhaps decides on promotions and so on. Kids would have an incentive to retain material and come to school. By the time they get to high school, the daily attendance would be so ingrained that they would probably pick school over street-life. Suburban kids would *want* to come to school in the city. Test scores would go up, all would be well again. $3000/yr/kid = about 17 / day. It would cost more, but it would probably fix *many* problems. Schools would get paid more because attendance would rise...etc. etc. Once education was attained, the program could be phased out as education really shouldn't have financial linkages (in spirit).

Regards

($3000/yr/kid * 30,000 kids, 90 million dollars (not that much really...BBOE budget, approximately 550M, so a 16% increase)
If a parent had 4 kids in school, that would be significant extra income for the parents, and perhaps boost the local economy too!

You may be onto something here!

In 5 years we can have PBA Guy complaining that his kid hasn’t had a raise in 3 years.
We can have the BPSU (Buffalo Professional Students Union). Kids can pay dues. They can have arbitrators and file grievances if they think the teacher unfairly took points away. Dr. Williams can negotiate a new contract with 17 year olds every few years. The students can take the School Board to court when pop or chocolate mile is removed from the cafeteria. And it will give the Schools a chance to give away more $80,000 + a year jobs because someone has to oversee and distribute the money!

[Genoobie]

You may be onto something here!

In 5 years we can have PBA Guy complaining that his kid hasn’t had a raise in 3 years.
We can have the BPSU (Buffalo Professional Students Union). Kids can pay dues. They can have arbitrators and file grievances if they think the teacher unfairly took points away. Dr. Williams can negotiate a new contract with 17 year olds every few years. The students can take the School Board to court when pop or chocolate mile is removed from the cafeteria. And it will give the Schools a chance to give away more $80,000 + a year jobs because someone has to oversee and distribute the money!

Clever. But in all seriousness, $3000 seems like a lot, but it isn't really (and we could start the younger kids with a less and the older kids could have a little more). Really, I think it could be *very* attractive for suburban parents.

WNYResident, I don't have too much of a problem with a merit based system, my only contention there is what's the yard stick? Should an exceptional athlete be rewarded differentially than an exceptional science student? It brings up too many issues that would allow students to cry foul and then go begging their teacher for better report cards, etc. etc.

Regards

[atotaltotalfan2001]

Here's a potential solution. Take some of the money and turn it into a paycheck for the students. Those students who do the work earn points and get paid (just like a job, so life skill are learned here). Students who don't do the work, don't get paid. Plain and simple. The teacher becomes an overseer who decides what a good effort is and perhaps decides on promotions and so on. Kids would have an incentive to retain material and come to school. By the time they get to high school, the daily attendance would be so ingrained that they would probably pick school over street-life. Suburban kids would *want* to come to school in the city. Test scores would go up, all would be well again. $3000/yr/kid = about 17 / day. It would cost more, but it would probably fix *many* problems. Schools would get paid more because attendance would rise...etc. etc. Once education was attained, the program could be phased out as education really shouldn't have financial linkages (in spirit).

Regards

($3000/yr/kid * 30,000 kids, 90 million dollars (not that much really...BBOE budget, approximately 550M, so a 16% increase)
If a parent had 4 kids in school, that would be significant extra income for the parents, and perhaps boost the local economy too!

Pity the teachers! Can you imagine the reaction from parents if their kid came home empty handed? I've seen parents go ballistic over a poor grade they felt their kid didn't deserve. A grade. I've seen them scary crazy because their kid wasn't allowed to "play up" in some school sport.

I don't even want to think how parents would feel about teachers who denied them money.

Does anyone remember several years ago when there was a proposal to pay kids every time they read a book? I wonder what happened to that. I think it involved the Buffalo school district.

[leftWNYbecauseofBS]

($3000/yr/kid * 30,000 kids, 90 million dollars (not that much really...BBOE budget, approximately 550M, so a 16% increase)
If a parent had 4 kids in school, that would be significant extra income for the parents, and perhaps boost the local economy too!

Or how about having an outside service fund sports, music and arts on their own dime. Bring in non-union professionals to run these classes before and after school. Run them through the summer. Then have this group submit a bill to the schools for services provided.

It is not likely that we will ever be able to charter all schools, but that does not mean we can not charter aspects that schools choose not to do.

Another wacky idea.....

[atotaltotalfan2001]

If a parent had 4 kids in school, that would be significant extra income for the parents, and perhaps boost the local economy too!

Actually, the money comes from the parents to begin with.

[leftWNYbecauseofBS]

Actually, the money comes from the parents to begin with.

Not always the case in Buffalo. Most of public schools are funded by the following:

Parents who send their kids to private schools
People who do not have children
People who live in the rest of NYS
People who live in the rest of the US

The parents of the kids who would need this program are most likely paying the least into the program. In fact a kid working to earn 3k in a year would be working and "earning" more then his/her parents.

Call me an A-hole for pointing it out but it is the truth.

[Genoobie]

Lefty's correct, taxes in Buffalo fund only a small portion of the school budget. Sure, bring in non-union professionals and pay them $8.50/hr for before and after school activities, that add up to 4 hrs / day. I don't think we'd have many takers on top of the fact they probably won't be given any kind of benefit. You could mandate it for student teachers.
Okay, so the system would be based principally on attendance and there may be a merit aspect to this. I think the kid would be motivated enough that the parents wouldn't have to intervene on their behalf. This wouldn't work in the suburbs, just urban, perhaps rural.
I've always thought that the non-academic stuff, while *very* important to a child's education should be provided outside of school. It just seems that it would be more efficient that way. School could be shortened, and perhaps administrative need would decrease and there would be a cost savings. The income the kids earn could be used to purchase involvement in those non-academic activities.

Regards.