http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2225622/Chicago-plans-pay-parents-25-pick-childrens-report-cards-parent-teacher-conferences.html?printingPage=true

Quote :

Chicago plans to pay parents $25 to pick up their children's report cards and go to parent-teacher conferences

By David Mccormack
PUBLISHED: 04:38 EST, 31 October 2012 | UPDATED: 04:57 EST, 31 October 2012





Parents are being persuaded to get more involved in their children's education with $25 gift cards.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced the scheme that will see vouchers for Walgreen being handed out.

Parents will receive the vouchers provided they pick up their students’ report cards and participate in parent-teacher conferences.

The scheme will be trialed at 70 public schools in Chicago Public Schools that have a problem engaging parents.

‘This is a way, in my view, of incentivizing responsible parenting,’ Emanuel told a news conference at Field Elementary School, Ashland.

He said that the scheme could help to ‘close the gap between parents, teachers and principals to have a united front investing in our kids’ education.’

Emanuel said he got the gift card idea during one of his morning workouts: 'That’s what happens when I start swimming. I start coming up with ideas.'

Walgreen has operated in Chicago for 112 years and now has 150 stores.

Emanuel, President Obama's former White House chief of staff,came under fire yesterday after he joked that a silver lining to Hurricane Sandy was that Chicago's journalists are focusing on news outside the Windy City.

'We are sending them some of the best reporters we have', Emanuel said on local radio when asked what Chicago was doing to help those in the states affected by the freak weather.

As his audience laughed, Emanuel continued: 'I thought that would be the best help to the city of Chicago!'

ugh. I did not like this idea when I read about it earlier.

There is something really messed up about paying parents to be involved. Truth be told, parents should be forced to go to one conference per year or their child doesn't progress to the next grade.

I have never had a child in CPS, but was one. And I have a child in public school now. Schools make conferences available to anyone, offering evening and daytime conferences. No need to pay....force it by only promoting a child up to the next grade by having parental involvement.

It's a bad idea to bribe kids to get good grades and it's an even worse idea to bribe parents to pretend they're involved with their kids' school lives.

This is a stupid idea. There's no rule that says a parent has to go to parent-teacher conferences and when I was a kid we just brought our report cards home from school. This is a waste of money.

Ridiculous

Quote :

That’s what happens when I start swimming. I start coming up with ideas.'

He probably inhaled/swallowed too much chlorine, he needs to stop swimming.

Cheaps wrote:

He probably inhaled/swallowed too much chlorine, he needs to stop swimming.

Parents should want to be involved because they are invested in education... not invested in money.

TheEnglishButterfly wrote:

Parents should want to be involved because they are invested in education... not invested in money.

Awww, you changed your avatar, too bad, I was enjoying having a twin on here. But I like this one too, my mom would especially love it, she loves butterflies.

So, one must wonder if these gift cards are going to be able to be used for alcohol and cigs! Can you imagine someone with three kids going in and getting alcohol and/or cigs?

Supernova wrote:

Awww, you changed your avatar, too bad, I was enjoying having a twin on here. But I like this one too, my mom would especially love it, she loves butterflies.

Yeah, well people were getting kind of confused, so eh, oh well, lol. I do love Stitch though! That movie is so super cute. My nickname is Meeko, like from the raccoon. I was contemplating changing the avatar to Meeko

I do love butterflies (hence the screen name) and have 2 butterfly tattoos. I want to get a tattoo of the tree from The Lovely Bones where the birds fly off of it, but do it with butterflies. I have like 20 damn tattoos planned though, who knows which ones Ill actually get!!!

TheEnglishButterfly wrote:

I do love butterflies (hence the screen name) and have 2 butterfly tattoos. ...I have like 20 damn tattoos planned though, who knows which ones Ill actually get!!!

Another girl with tats on this board.

And they seem to be addictive.

I have a butterfly tat:


My wife was into them and this one I designed for our wedding.

Shale wrote:

Another girl with tats on this board.

And they seem to be addictive.

I have a butterfly tat:


My wife was into them and this one I designed for our wedding.

I actually have 4 tats... 2 butterflies, weazie the penguin from toy story 2, and a lily with my daughters name.

Nice tat though! I have always loved butterflies, they are really meaningful to me

I don't think it's ridiculous at all. It speaks to degradation of a culture and parenting in this day and age that someone had to resort to bribery just to get parents involved in their child's education. I guess whatever it takes to get them involved, try it. At least he's trying something.