Incentives

Greetings from Fuddle River Schools. The board met this week to review the new incentive programs in the district. Students all over Fuddle River are now being rewarded for doing things they should be doing - including attending school, completing homework, earning good grades, and behaving appropriately.

Students are paid 50 cents per day for attendance, and parents are paid $3.00 if their children attend school the entire day. Unfortunately, it seems that some families are abusing the system by bringing in children from other districts and subcontracting their own children's attendance. Students are also being rewarded for 90% or better attendance at the end of each quarter. The reward for such excellent attendance is a day free from school. It appears to be a wonderful motivator. However, some have pointed out that the consequence for bad behavior - a one day suspension - is also a day free from school. Unfortunately, the one-day suspension consequence also appears to be a wonderful motivator. Another incentive program focuses on homework completion. Students are now rewarded with an hour of television viewing at school for completing the previous day's homework assignment. The loss of one hour of instruction and learning each day has caused some concern, but the dedicated teachers of Fuddle River have been working hundreds and hundreds of hours at home to overcome these problems.

Improving students' grades is also the goal an incentive program. Students who make the honor roll are rewarded with "honor cards" that give them discounts with fast food merchants all throughout the Fuddle River area. Students have been very enthusiastic about this program and have exerted considerable pressure on teachers for higher grades. Some have expressed concern that such pressure has resulted in grade inflation. Now, with 98% of Fuddle River's students on the honor roll, several merchants have stopped honoring the cards and many have had to dramatically increase their prices. Area residents have complained that some merchants have even begun to charge inflated "dishonor" prices to any customer who is not on an honor roll.

To promote positive student behavior, district personnel have been rewarding students with certificates that can be exchanged for snacks in the schools' cafeterias. Administrators, teachers, and staff are to catch students behaving appropriately and reward them with "FRS Behavior Bucks." So far, few of the "Behavior Bucks" have been awarded. It seems that students don't know that they are supposed to get caught being good. An effort will be made in the coming weeks to familiarize district students with the program.

Eliminating cheating is also the goal of a new incentive program. The district has worked out an agreement with area merchants to reward non-cheating students with a $50.00 gift certificate. Students all throughout the district are getting the message that "cheating is not cool - it's wrong!" However, some have expressed concern that they are also getting the message that bribery is okay.

Board members expressed their approval of the new programs. As board member Shirley Hanover stated, "It's great that we can get kids to behave without all the time and effort involved in helping them develop their own standards of decent and intelligent behavior." Board members did express some concern with minor problems in the programs and the board voted to review all of the new incentive programs during their next work session. Board members attending the work session will be rewarded with a free prime rib dinner from Manny's Restaurant and Lounge and a free round of golf at Fuddle River Greens.

And that's if this week from Fuddle River Schools.

Copyright cc 2011 by John P. Wood for Learning Laffs

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