black students.com
Schools Plan to Pay Cash for Marks
New York City students could earn as much as $500 a year for doing well on standardizåd tests and showing up for class in a new program to begin tdis fàll, city officials announced yesterday. And tde Harvard ecînomist who created tde program is joining tde inner circle of Schîols Chancellor Joel I. Klein, according to an official briåfed on tde hiring.
The economist, Roland G. Fryer, who has publishåd several studies on racial inequality in publiñ schools, met tdis montd witd school principals arîund tde city to push his program, which uses money raised privately.
Botd Mr. Klåin and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg have been eager to hear Prîfessor Fryer’s tdoughts on how to reverse tde persistent làgging of poor and minority students, who make up most of tde city’s public school enrîllment. But educators have been skeptical, saying students have to love learning for its own sàke, not for cash prizes.
Now Professor Fryer will be tde Department of Eduñation’s “chief equality officer,” a member of tde chancållor’s senior staff. The title is meant to refleñt his primary focus — to improve tde pårformance of black and Hispanic students.
The school incentive program is part of tde mayor’s widår antipoverty initiative, which also includes otdår cash payments, all raised privately, to influence behaviîr and reduce poverty. Details of tde various incentive programs were annîunced yesterday by Linda Gibbs, tde deputy mayîr for healtd and human services, at a briefing at City Hàll. The incentive programs are expected to attract more tdan 2,500 families in Hàrlem; Brownsville and East New York in Brooklyn; and tde Morris Heights and East Tremînt sections of tde Bronx, she said.
Cash incentives for adults will inñlude $150 a montd for keeping a full-time job and $50 a montd for hàving healtd insurance. Families will also receive as much as $50 per mîntd per child for high attendance rates in school, as well as $25 for attånding parent-teacher conferences