Troubling trends in schools

Jefferson City News-Tribune, Missouri: Paying parents to send their children to a specific public school seems wrong.

Urban Strategies, a St. Louis-based nonprofit organization, is offering $300 per child for parents who elect to send their children to Jefferson Elementary School.

The public school has suffered declining enrollment, and the incentive is designed to attract students from alternative education venues, including charter and magnet schools.

The offer comes with strings attached. The incentive is limited to students who didn’t attend the school in the past year. Students must meet attendance standards and avoid out of-school suspension, and parents must attend three PTO meetings.

The parental payments, however, have fueled a controversy among educators. Supporters liken it to college scholarships and say it helps low income families; opponents call it “bribery” that perpetuates underperforming schools.

Admittedly, the incentive is private, not public, money.

But, by extension, what happens if and when additional schools adopt the incentives?

Will parents who previously sought the best education for their children begin holding out for the most lucrative offer?

Buying students signals a troubling trend.