NYC has raised private funds to issue pay-outs of up to $5000 to families living below the poverty line. Households must meet certain incentives tied to school attendance, attendance at parent-teacher conferences, medical check-ups and test scores to receive the benefits. While the city should be applauded for acknowledging deficiencies and seeking innovative solutions, bribing parents to parent is a disturbing proposition.
The city compares these pay-outs to corporate bonuses - rewards for employees who exceed expectations. Seems to overlook that the only corporate compensation for showing up everyday is the regular salary. Families that stand to benefit from this new program have elected to bring children into the world and it's proposed that they receive bonuses when they push themselves to meet the basic standards of care for those children. That’s a problem.
Example: A few months ago, 20/20 profiled a mother ballyhooing the public school system because her 12th grader could not read. 20/20 put him into a tutorial program and within weeks he was reading at a 6th grade level. Mom had to be aware that he couldn’t read before he hit the 12th grade, yet she didn’t seek outside assistance or supplement the school program on her own.
Perhaps 20/20 mom would have tried to help her son if this incentive had been in place. The credit would have motivated her to seek literacy for her son. Maybe there is hope for the program.
But, are kids missing school to provide child care to younger siblings because parents can’t afford alternate child care? Are they workking to provide income for the family? Or are kids out of school running the streets? Are parents missing parent-teacher meetings because they’re working ? Or because they don’t inquire about them and know when they’re happening? Either way, doling out cash ignores what may for some result from wage and labor issues which the city must address and for others simply reward meeting minimal parenting standards.
I anxiously await the results of the trial.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/30/nyregion/30poverty.html?ex=1332993600&en=0171066a560201d2&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
Sunday, April 1, 2007
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