California's Governor has an interesting incentive for children to do well in school.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has a new rewards program for schoolkids: Stay in school, take a tank for a spin.If Schwarzenegger is serious, I think we can count the hours or minutes till some leftists begin saying the Governor is exposing children to guns and how wrong that is.The Republican governor is bringing home an Austrian army tank he loaned the Motts Military Museum in Columbus, Ohio, and he said Wednesday he plans to use it to drive around inner-city children who do well in school, say "no" to drugs and avoid gangs in the Los Angeles area.
Standing outside the Northwood Elementary School in North Sacramento, where he promoted his plan to assist 97 troubled school districts, Schwarzenegger said he plans to take kids for a ride one day a month.
Honestly I prefer what my Dad used to do. Take me and my brothers to a baseball game, or the demolition derby on Long Island. One NY middle school gives out a cellphone with 130 prepaid minutes as a reward for good grades. I'd take the tank ride.
A big hat tip to education blogger Joanne Jacobs. I borrowed the title of Joanne's post for my own. It was just too good to pass up on.
Update- I fixed the spelling. Triple post my blog article, misspell armor. See what happens when you don't take chemo for the first time in nine weeks?
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Comments (8)
Man, and all I got in schoo... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Eric F | March 3, 2008 11:09 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Man, and all I got in school was little gold star stickers ...
1. Posted by Eric F | March 3, 2008 11:09 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on March 3, 2008 11:09
2. Posted by epador | March 3, 2008 12:08 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I think I'd like to see him drive down past the Marine Recruiting Station in Berkeley.
2. Posted by epador | March 3, 2008 12:08 PM |
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Posted on March 3, 2008 12:08
3. Posted by Oyster | March 3, 2008 12:55 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
"I borrowed the title of Joanne's post for my own. It was just too good to pass up on."
It would help if you spelled it right :)
3. Posted by Oyster | March 3, 2008 12:55 PM |
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Posted on March 3, 2008 12:55
4. Posted by yetanotherjohn | March 3, 2008 2:39 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
For my kids it is relatively straight forward. Get all A's and B's on their report card or they lose TV, computer and video game privileges until the next report card. Now they aren't in an inner city school. My oldest wears 'gang colors' for the latin club. And the immediate satsifaction of getting to ride in a tank is not as much of an incentive to them than the incentive of not getting to play video games for the next 3 weeks (the school sends a lot of progress reports out).
So is the issue a failure of incentive to motivate the kids to do what is right (aka a tank ride will make it all better) or is it a failure in the parent to properly motivate the kid?
4. Posted by yetanotherjohn | March 3, 2008 2:39 PM |
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Posted on March 3, 2008 14:39
5. Posted by Bill Jempty | March 3, 2008 3:08 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Sure you aren't Korean?
A Korean daughter brings home a quiz she gets a 97 on. Her mother says- "What happened to the missing 3?"
My parents would keep me confined to the house if my report card wasn't good enough. Then I began to like it. That made the punishment of little use.
If you think I like to nitpick, you should have seen me in the 11th grade Amer. History class. The teacher on the 2nd or 3rd day puts up a chalk board full of notes and I find 3 mistakes. Boy did Mr. Muir get me transfered to AP American History fast. LOL.
Bill
5. Posted by Bill Jempty | March 3, 2008 3:08 PM |
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Posted on March 3, 2008 15:08
6. Posted by Synova | March 3, 2008 8:46 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I think it sounds like a lot of fun.
And even if it's not a fantastic motivator, the kids who *are* getting good grades and qualify, deserve some recognition too. Particularly boys who probably think there is nothing grander than a huge machine.
And if he gives them a ride personally, that's great, too.
6. Posted by Synova | March 3, 2008 8:46 PM |
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Posted on March 3, 2008 20:46
7. Posted by SPQR | March 3, 2008 9:34 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
The Austrians had tanks? Wow, who knew?
7. Posted by SPQR | March 3, 2008 9:34 PM |
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Posted on March 3, 2008 21:34
8. Posted by Proof | March 3, 2008 10:45 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
It's just Ahlnold's way of saying "Tanks, kids!"
Literally!
8. Posted by Proof | March 3, 2008 10:45 PM |
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Posted on March 3, 2008 22:45