[billiefan2000]

great idea. considering omaha central's trauncy problems. maybe they should implement this there to (both central and benson have trauncy problems)

I btw am a proud Omaha north grad



A Cash Incentive Boosts Attendance at Benson - Action 3 News - Omaha, Nebraska News, Weather, and Sports | (http://www.kmtv.com/story/14688512/a-cash-incentive-boosts-attendance-at-benson - broken link)

quote:

Omaha, NE- The last day of class for Benson High School students. The mood is light and for 142 students their wallets are a bit heavier, because it's pay day.

Students like Nick Ramm who have had perfect attendance all year get a cash bonus.

"I could take two weeks off of work or go on a bunch of free dates, or something like that," says Ramm.

Benson staff partnered with Building Bright Futures to find ways to get kids to come to class everyday.


Building Bright Futures is a non-profit working on improving student achievement in Douglas and Sarpy counties.


Out of the partnership, Benson staff created a mentoring program, a poster campaign, visual reminders and incentives. Incentives like free T-shirts and gift cards throughout the year and a cash payoff at the end of the year up to $450.

If students had perfect attendance after the first semester they received $100. The same for second semester. Students who had perfect attendance all year long got a bonus of $250

A Cash Incentive Boosts Attendance at Benson - Action 3 News - Omaha, Nebraska News, Weather, and Sports | (http://www.kmtv.com/story/14688512/a-cash-incentive-boosts-attendance-at-benson - broken link)

[iamjacobm]

I didn't miss a day in my high school career, I should of gone to Benson. I actually don't think this is a great idea. It seems to me like they didn't make a real effort to connect with students that regularly miss class and help them. It seems to me like they just gave up actually trying to help the kids and just say show up every day and you get money!

[billiefan2000]

Originally Posted by iamjacobm

I didn't miss a day in my high school career, I should of gone to Benson. I actually don't think this is a great idea. It seems to me like they didn't make a real effort to connect with students that regularly miss class and help them. It seems to me like they just gave up actually trying to help the kids and just say show up every day and you get money!

I believe u have a point. but considering the staff and the ops board

have let the trauncy problems at omaha central and omaha benson and other schools get to the point it is at now, I cant blame benson for doing something like this.

[iamjacobm]

And I don't know really anything about the situation. Maybe they did do everything possible and it still didn't work. It is great that 142 attended every day compared to I think 14 last year it obviously worked to get them there, but do they have to do this forever now? When they stop do students not see a point to go since they aren't getting money? Do the students have the same motivation during college to go to classes if there is no money at the end? It does get kids in class now, but I just wonder what it is fostering in kids. To me a free education would be enough, but that is probably because college isn't free!

[Michael Weston]

Originally Posted by iamjacobm

And I don't know really anything about the situation. Maybe they did do everything possible and it still didn't work. It is great that 142 attended every day compared to I think 14 last year it obviously worked to get them there, but do they have to do this forever now? When they stop do students not see a point to go since they aren't getting money? Do the students have the same motivation during college to go to classes if there is no money at the end? It does get kids in class now, but I just wonder what it is fostering in kids. To me a free education would be enough, but that is probably because college isn't free!

Important questions right there. I'm glad the kids have increased their attendance, but I question the method. One more thing that makes kids/people feel like they are entitled. They should be going to school because it's good for them....not because it's a payday.

Sometimes in life you have to do things you don't want to without immediate results. Sometimes you have to bust your butt with little to no initial benefit. This seems to send a different message.

The sooner kids these days realize life isn't always going to coddle them and give them everything they want the better.

[laserdisque]

I don't see how this is a bad thing. It's not like I would go to work if I didn't get paid. A little incentive never hurt anyone.

[OrganizingSerenity]

Originally Posted by laserdisque

I don't see how this is a bad thing. It's not like I would go to work if I didn't get paid. A little incentive never hurt anyone.

I think the difference may be that school is a law, whereas going to work isn't a legal obligation. I'm all for incentives, but what's next on this slippery slope? Perhaps I should get paid for not robbing a convenience store this year. A better incentive might be to show the kids the money they will make in their life WITH a high school diploma versus without.

[Michael Weston]

Originally Posted by laserdisque

I don't see how this is a bad thing. It's not like I would go to work if I didn't get paid.

Uh, they don't pay you at work to just show up. You have to perform your assigned duties, and perform them well enough to keep your job. I'm pretty sure that if you just showed up at work and did nothing the entire time they wouldn't be paying you any longer.

Originally Posted by laserdisque

A little incentive never hurt anyone.

I beg to differ. This society, kids especially, have this overwhelming sense of entitlement these days. A "what's in it for me" attitude instead of a "it's good for me" attitude. The "it's someone else's fault" attitude instead of just taking the responsibility of sacking up and making it to class. You're going to get to the point where kids are showing up just to "earn a paycheck." Do we still pay kids that show up but don't bother to put in any effort in the day? Do we then have to start paying them to actually try? Pay them to finish and submit homework? Where does it end?

Not going to school and getting an education means you (likely) won't get a good job, won't make good money, won't get all the neat toys you wanna buy, and generally have a less than content life. That should be motivation enough.

Who needs pride in ones' self when society continues to just hand out free passes to every lazy, self-absorbed, entitled, crybaby who just doesn't feel like doing whatever the rest of us had to bust our butts to get.

[Busguy2010]

I went to school every day and didn't get payed for it, as probably all of us here have. It's wrong to me that they have to pay the kids to go to school. Who knows what the students are thinking, but I bet there's no other good way to get them to go to school. I don't believe money is the measure of happiness, so if they're content working for $10/hr all their life, then that's fine.

[ArchStanton]

I went to Benson- I want to collect my $1000 as I never missed a day of school back then!