Miami Herald Logo

Merit pay (for parents) | Miami Herald

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Site Information
    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Herald Store
    • RSS Feeds
    • Special Sections
    • Advertise
    • Advertise with Us
    • Media Kit
    • Mobile
    • Mobile Apps & eReaders
    • Newsletters
    • Social
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Google+
    • Instagram
    • YouTube

    • Sections
    • News
    • South Florida
    • Miami-Dade
    • Broward
    • Florida Keys
    • Florida
    • Politics
    • Weird News
    • Weather
    • National & World
    • Colombia
    • National
    • World
    • Americas
    • Cuba
    • Guantánamo
    • Haiti
    • Venezuela
    • Local Issues
    • Crime
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • In Depth
    • Issues & Ideas
    • Traffic
    • Sections
    • Sports
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Pro & College
    • Miami Dolphins
    • Miami Heat
    • Miami Marlins
    • Florida Panthers
    • College Sports
    • University of Miami
    • Florida International
    • University of Florida
    • Florida State University
    • More Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Auto Racing
    • Fighting
    • Golf
    • Horse Racing
    • Outdoors
    • Soccer
    • Tennis
    • Youth Sports
    • Other Sports
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • The Florida Influencer Series
    • Sections
    • Business
    • Business Monday
    • Banking
    • International Business
    • National Business
    • Personal Finance
    • Real Estate News
    • Small Business
    • Technology
    • Tourism & Cruises
    • Workplace
    • Business Plan Challenge
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Cindy Krischer Goodman
    • The Starting Gate
    • Work/Life Balancing Act
    • Movers
    • Sections
    • Living
    • Advice
    • Fashion
    • Food & Drink
    • Health & Fitness
    • Home & Garden
    • Pets
    • Recipes
    • Travel
    • Wine
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Dave Barry
    • Ana Veciana-Suarez
    • Flashback Miami
    • More Living
    • LGBTQ South Florida
    • Palette Magazine
    • Indulge Magazine
    • South Florida Album
    • Broward Album
    • Sections
    • Entertainment
    • Books
    • Comics
    • Games & Puzzles
    • Horoscopes
    • Movies
    • Music & Nightlife
    • People
    • Performing Arts
    • Restaurants
    • TV
    • Visual Arts
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Jose Lambiet
    • Lesley Abravanel
    • More Entertainment
    • Events Calendar
    • Miami.com
    • Contests & Promotions
    • Sections
    • All Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Op-Ed
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Jim Morin
    • Letters to the Editor
    • From Our Inbox
    • Speak Up
    • Submit a Letter
    • Meet the Editorial Board
    • Influencers Opinion
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Blog Directory
    • Columnist Directory
    • Andres Oppenheimer
    • Carl Hiaasen
    • Leonard Pitts Jr.
    • Fabiola Santiago
    • Obituaries
    • Obituaries in the News
    • Place an Obituary

    • Place an ad
    • All Classifieds
    • Announcements
    • Apartments
    • Auctions/Sales
    • Automotive
    • Commercial Real Estate
    • Employment
    • Garage Sales
    • Legals
    • Merchandise
    • Obituaries
    • Pets
    • Public Notices
    • Real Estate
    • Services
  • Public Notices
  • Cars
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Real Estate
  • Mobile & Apps

  • el Nuevo Herald
  • Miami.com
  • Indulge

Latest News

Merit pay (for parents)

Mama Sass

    ORDER REPRINT →

April 13, 2010 07:00 AM

Money is a powerful motivating force. Just ask the hundreds of teachers who hit the streets of Miami Monday to protest a bill that would link their pay to students' test scores.

That same day Time magazine reported on a national trend in schools paying children who improve their test scores. Some are having success with it, too, much to the chagrin of critics, who call it bribery.

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to the Miami Herald

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

For some reason, we're OK with talking about salary bonuses, raises and merit pay for teachers and other adults, but when it comes to our kids, we get all squeamish about doling out dollars for grades. Call it what you want – reward, incentive, prize – but we pay our children all the time to make them do what we want. From a sticker for using the potty to a cookie for sitting still in church, we are constantly bargaining and offering our kids some type of payback for good behavior. Many parents I know also give their kids money for good report cards.

But I think most of us – and the Florida Legislature – have it all wrong. Instead of threatening to take money away from teachers or give money to kids for good grades, it's parents who should be receiving the performance pay. If we really want to improve a kid's chances in the classroom, let's talk about motivating mom and dad.

To be more involved. To impress upon their children the importance of a good education. To read to their kids at night. To make sure the homework gets done. To get kids to school on time with breakfast in their bellies and a good night's sleep in their immediate past.

For optimal behavior modification, forget paying off teachers and students. I propose offering tax incentives to parents whose kids improve their behavior and grades in school. Every A on a report card at the end of the school year is worth a $1,000 tax break every April 15. Every time your kid raises his or her performance by a grade, another tax break kicks in. Your kid brings home all Fs or a failing test score? Be prepared to pay a tax on that.

What? You don't think that's fair? You may want to borrow a few signs from yesterday's teachers.

  Comments  

Videos

People wait onboard trucks heading to Venezuela with humanitarian aid

Venezuelan military uses tear gas against humanitarian aid entering through Colombian border

View More Video

Trending Stories

Patriots owner Robert Kraft is among the hundreds charged in Florida sex traffic sting

February 22, 2019 12:23 PM

Trump threatens to deport Venezuelan military officials’ families that have fled to Miami

February 22, 2019 07:21 PM

It’s about to get easier for legal immigrants in Miami to get their papers. Faster, too.

February 22, 2019 03:14 PM

Government preparing to be sued in 2023, when the Keys stop issuing building permits

February 23, 2019 07:00 AM

National Guard fires tear gas amid Venezuela border tension

February 23, 2019 03:17 PM

Read Next

Latest News

Boeing 767 cargo jetliner with 3 aboard crashes near Houston

The Associated Press

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 23, 2019 03:46 PM

Authorities say a Boeing 767 cargo jetliner heading to Houston with three people aboard has crashed into a bay just east of the city.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to the Miami Herald

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE LATEST NEWS

Maduro calls Guaidó a puppet, mocks Trump and vows he’ll never surrender

Venezuela

Maduro calls Guaidó a puppet, mocks Trump and vows he’ll never surrender

February 23, 2019 02:37 PM
A small plane crashed into a Central Florida home, FAA says. Two people were on board.

Florida

A small plane crashed into a Central Florida home, FAA says. Two people were on board.

February 23, 2019 03:13 PM
Flaring tensions, defections at the border as first shipment of aid enters Venezuela

Venezuela

Flaring tensions, defections at the border as first shipment of aid enters Venezuela

February 23, 2019 08:21 AM
R. Kelly ordered jailed on $1M bond at Chicago hearing

Latest News

R. Kelly ordered jailed on $1M bond at Chicago hearing

February 23, 2019 03:27 PM
The first trucks with humanitarian aid have arrived in Venezuela

Venezuela

The first trucks with humanitarian aid have arrived in Venezuela

February 23, 2019 11:32 AM
Up to 20 injured as Maduro agents violently block aid from entering Venezuela

Venezuela

Up to 20 injured as Maduro agents violently block aid from entering Venezuela

February 23, 2019 01:16 PM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Miami Herald App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Public Insight Network
  • Reader Panel
Advertising
  • Place a Classified
  • Media Kit
  • Commercial Printing
  • Public Notices
Copyright
Commenting Policy
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story