🚀 go-pugleaf

    In defending the $366 million dollar MPS facilities plan, Howard
    Fuller recently asked: "Will the Brewers have to guarantee us they
    will win a World Series before we will build them a stadium?"

    Despite old facilities, the Brewers just placed second in their
    division. Did MPS do as well? How about last year's performance at
    one of MPS's newest high schools: North Division?

    The Brewers do well, in part, because their performance on the
    field determines their pay. We can help thousands of
    insufficiently motivated MPS students by linking daily academic
    performance in school to rewards.  Beth Sulzer and associates
    found slow readers' rate of progress in spelling and reading to
    increase by 30% and 44%, respectively when performance was
    rewarded with toys, models, crafts, jewelry, or candy.  Many of
    these fifth-grade, public school children were economically
    disadvantaged and had previously been disruptive.  So, it is
    encouraging that rewards also enhanced student conduct.

    How much would it cost to link student learning with rewards? If
    rewards cost, on average, a dollar a day per student, $18 million
    per school year would motivate the approximately 100,000 students
    at MPS. Reduce this amount by 50% if you think we can only afford
    to help students attending schools falling in the bottom 50% of
    the achievement distribution. Obviously, it costs less to motivate
    a third-grader than a high-school senior. So, we can reduce costs
    further by only providing such help to elementary schools.

    Just as baseball players go on strike when they are not adequately
    compensated, students go on strike when learning does not produce
    valuable consequences.  Just as the Brewer's establish contracts
    with their players, MPS should be establishing learning contracts
    with its students.

    MPS thinks it may be able to increase learning by paying
    construction workers.  I am sure we can increase learning by
    paying students.