Recovers from what?
bcp said:
so, your son, in an ultimate moment of great 13 year old intellect, openly admitted to you that he is able to do much better in school, but he refuses unless he is paid to do so?
my dad would have had himself a field day with me on that one.
I pray for the childs quick recovery.
...common sense?
Adult; Do this well and I'll pay you well.
Kid: Outta my way!
Some of my kids are very interested in what they want to do, what they enjoy, dance, sports, drama, singing vs. good old fashioned financial motivation. Of course, every one of them so far has thought a job was cool as all hell once they needed gas money.
I'm shocked at the opposition to this idea, officially paying for achievement, and I'd love some dialogue on this.
We have a society with far too many lawyers, doctors and Wall Street types, yes? Why is that? Because after their first two years as psychology majors it dawns on them they're gonna have to earn a living some day, right? So, most kids are motivated by money sooner or later, yes?
So, we WANT more scientists and less lawyers, yes? We're paying for what we have now and we don't like it, why not pay for what we'd prefer.
We spend MORE money per year on education, $500 BILLION, per year, than we've spent on the entire war on terrah since 9/11. We spend about $10,000 per year per student for about 50 million students, k-12, for the education system we have.
We spend about the same, per year, $500 billion, on what most people think of as 'welfare'. What impact would better education have on that?
How about crime? Would it be dramatically reduced with higher education?
How about health care? Do better educated people take better care of themselves?
When most of us get a job, what's the first thing companies do? Spend more money on training your azz. From the use of a lawn mower, to a deep fryer to a CRAY computer. I read an editorial, years ago, that said everything there is to be said about effort vs. results;
The Post had just installed a new computer system and wanted everyone to learn how to use it; from e mail to inter office messages, to group meetings, sharing spreadsheets, so on and so forth. The company that installed it got paid to make sure each employee knew how to use it. The goal wasn't to test each person and see how well they paid attention or what they absorbed; they got paid to make sure everyone knew how to use it; results.
School tests your effort, which has nothing to do with results. While it's true that effort is a good thing, it in no way means that student X
will be better at the application of, the job of math or science or raking leaves than student Y just because student X got a better grade; all it means is he may learn quicker or tests better. Or he got more support at home. Or got breakfast every day. Or got enough sleep.
How many people excel far past their better test taking and retention counterparts once the real world is entered?
Imagine, if you will, where parents have a direct financial motivation to support their kids getting a better education. Imagine a world where, instead of complaining that other people don't care enough about
their kids education which results in all these barbarians running around, we've got more kids who are capitalists replete with all the motivations that that implies; civility, societal awareness, etc.
Would paying kids to take better classes, and succeed at them, result in a society with less crime, better health and happier, more productive citizens at less overall public expense?
Why give them incentive to take classes if they're not going to apply it in some scientific field? There would have to be a lot more conditions on them getting the money before I would even consider saying "yes." 
