There was no shortage of criticism when Fryer first proposed this idea. And as Fryer himself admits with Stephen, it’s not clear yet whether or not it will work. But he’s right in recognizing that incentivizing high performance in inner city schools is a completely different animal.What’s more interesting to me, though, was Stephen’s [...]

Ritalin, promises of a brighter future, the occasional extra credit horizontal mambo with your english teacher in the school parking lot: nothing seems to be motiving kid's to do better in school. While some critics have urged to increase teacher's salaries to improve the education quality given in schools, Harvard professor and economist Roland Fryer wants to fast track a similar process, while cutting out the middle man. Because really, why pay the messenger more when the recipient can barely read?Fryer believes offering students cash incentives in exchange for high grades could work as an effective catalyst in jump starting the nation's suffering early education.  Test programs have been established in Chicago, D.C., and New York, paying out up to $500 for high scores in standardized tests, as well as $50 per "A" in the classroom.  He explained the workings and the rationale behind the program on The Colbert Report this past Monday: more about "Pay Day for "A" Grades: Struggling Sc...", posted with vodpodFryer's theory seems to be pretty legit. After all, if kid's today are being brought up to be ferociously money hungry and slaves for the bi-weekly paycheck for the rest of their life, what other preparatory method could be more appropriate?