This Is Just Wrong....

...on so many levels.  Thanx to our tax dollars, kids already get a free education and kids who qualify get a free meal during the day through the free lunch program...and sometimes breakfast.  Now Arizona wants to pay these kids to do what should be expected of them. 

Is there no sense of responsibility taught in our education system anymore????

Lisa

Comments

[jenny wu]

Lisa, check out this BF nazi article. Thought you'd like this!

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/08/09/ep.breastfeeding/index.html

[Lisa]

Good article Jenny. I'm glad things worked out for that mom. I'm all for being able to nurse in public without getting a bunch of shit from people, etc if that is their choice to do so. I just want the same choice to NOT breastfeed without getting a bunch of shit from the lactating nazis.

[Lisa]

OOPS.... I forgot to say thank you.

Thank you.

;o)

[Lee]

The funding comes from a non-profit private organization for this project.

THESE ARE NOT TAXPAYER DOLLARS!!!!!]

Why did you sort of ...er...falsely suggest that in your post, Lisa???

[Lisa]

As usual Lee... you've twisted what I said to suit your own purposes. I never said this idiotic program was paid by tax dollars. I said that they already get a free education thanx to tax dollars. Students should not have to be paid by anyone to go to school. It should be expected of them... geeze.

[LivlyRed]

Ummm, Lee? I think Lisa commented on kids doing what they're supposed to do without being paid. I don't give a crap whose paying it. If my kids were picked for this program I'd make them donate the money to a good charity.

[Lee]

This is a snip from the article:

"..More than 20,000 Arizona teens dropped out of the class of 2006.

To fight the problem, 75 students from low income families at Amphi High and 100 from Rincon high were picked for the new program.
W
The students will get $25 a week as an incentive to stay in school.

A local nonprofit will pay for the project.

To get the money, the kids have to stay out of trouble and keep their grades up..."

It's a pilot program. It's a desperate situation with 20,000 dropouts there....
Why call it 'idiotic'?

Rather than sit back and carp!!
What would you suggest they do, LIvelyRed and Lisa??

Keep in mind you've got millions of urban underprivileged kids from dysfunctional homes dropping out nationally!
What would you do?

You NeoCons piss me off!
You don't offer any viable suggestions of your own...You just sit back and crap all over whatever effo0rts someone else puts forth.
I think you actually enjoy the loss of American talent lost due to the terrible dropout rates since it's mainly minority kids affected??

Am I being too Freudian for ya?

[Lee]

Addendum:
A lousy $25 bucks a week to successfully stay in school is a better investment than the 2cents per hour they would get paid as inmates, (which is what a lot of 'dropouts' eventually become after they have broken the law as adults....

[Lee]

Addendum to the Addendum

According to AZ Gov. Janet Napolitano it'll soon cost more to fund AZ prisons than to fund the state's Universities:

http://realcostofprisons.org/blog/archives/2007/02/az_your_bill_fo.html

[LivlyRed]

My kids, year after year, always asked why their friends got paid money for good grades and they didn't. My response, year after year was this: "It's your future, not mine. My future is secured through the things I've done and the choices I've made. You will never be responsible for my future. You are responsible for your own future." If more kids knew they wouldn't be bailed out by failed parents, this world would be a better place. BTW, I have two children in the military, one who is a very successful businessman and one getting ready to marry (my only girl)the nephew of a man who owns 25% of Pebble Beach Golf Club. I guess my hard ass ways worked.

[LivlyRed]

Lee-I'm not sure what you're definition of minority students is, but all of my kids mentioned above (two are biological and two are step-children) all came from "broken homes". Two had no Dad around for most of their lives, and two had no Mom around for most of their lives. But they all managed to be productive citizens in spite of all the crap they endured. My beef is with most parents. For cying out loud, I was 23 yrs old when my kids dad (whom I was married to) decided he didn't want to be a husband and father- he's no better than any other person who doesn't live up to their responsibilities- I raised two male children, on my own, with the help of family and coaches- I made sure my kids played every sport offered in the community and within the school system- so that I KNEW that they didn't have time to get into trouble. Most parents don't want to spend that amount of time with their kids. They're too tired, they don't have the energy- so many things are more important.. for God's sakes- what's more important than our children? Parents need to take responsibilty- or don't have kids.

[LivlyRed]

Lee- I have no problem spending my tax dollars on prisons to keep criminals in jail. I have a much bigger problem spending my tax dollars for "programs" to give people who won't do for themselves my money.

[LivlyRed]

My "viable suggestion"- how about people quit expecting taxpayers and the government to take care of them? If the services were not there for the taking, people would have to take care of themselves- I think it's called personal responsiblity... what a concept!

[RD]

Lee notes: "...millions of urban underprivileged kids from dysfunctional homes..."

WTF? "underprivileged" - I'm not even sure what that means. They have as many "privileges" as most other kids - mostly the "privilege" to go to school and be better than their parents. "Dysfunctional homes"? So, daddy's in jail. You would think there is a learning moment for all their children. Of course, it's not daddy's fault - he is just a victim of the society that's against them. Single parent? Almost so common now that they are the privileged class with all the opportunity to be "functional". Poor reason, and no excuse. And talk about a target rich scam environment - private money directed toward kids with no self motivation or drive to achieve - sure to be a second income for somebody. No Lee, you are not firing on all eight with this one.

[LizaJane]

Why the hell would anyone think that school and teachers are the perfect substitute for parenting or a perfect solution for parents who don't want to be parents? Why the heck do these people have kids in the first place? It boggles my mind!

Quote from a student from this school:
"The idea of being paid to stay in school bodes well for Dylan Ebright. He dropped out a few years ago and now fixes electronics. Even though he got his GED, he wishes he'd stayed in school. 'I think a lot of kids see the rap stars and all the money they make and think if they drop out of school they can be like that,' he says. His big message: stay in school. It's advice for those still in school from someone who dropped out." "

LivelyRed,
OT: its freaky in a good way how many things we have in commen! OC is such a sporty place-I think its great for kids too. We just have two girls here- one for each of us-SSG Rob was a single dad too. My daughter (who turned 26 yesterday!) has a very nice long time bf who is a professional grounds keeper for a golf course! tee hee. = )

[Lee]

I know the schools shouldn't have to replace parents..But....

A lot of people have casual sex without regard for the conseqences..and opps, along comes a preganancy....
Now in many countries,(3rd world and 4th world), they just roam the streets in gangs marauding, begging, whoring, pillaging, stealing....But enough about Los Angeles....
So it befalls the schools to try and salvage these unwanteds...

Now if you 'Right-to-Lifers' would step up to the plate and adopt some of these unwanteds...and you could kill 2 birds, (so to speak), with one stone.
1) Raise them to be civilized and speak English.
2) Raise them to be Neo-Cons.

I envision the day when there would 2 or 3 minority justices on the Supreme Court at the same time, and they all would be clones of Clarence Thomas....

Then in a generation or 2 you could reclaim the government from the Liberals, thus ending the Dept of Education; undoing Medicare and Soc. Security; And taking a load off the prisons..

It would be a win-win-win all around.....

[LizaJane]

Isn't it amazing there is always some mysterious knuckle head called a "Neo-con" a Lefty can count on to take up the slack...who got through school without being paid to do so, works hard, pays taxes, practices abstenance or uses birth control, who doesn't deserve or *really* want children of their own someday; who should raise and fund somebody else's kids(who doesn't want them); who should be paying for all these social projects with their hard work and taxes; whose evil horrible mysterious intent *really* is the majority vote, or absolute power and or oil!

Heck why don't we just give the good grades one kid earns over to all the kids who never study at all, and we can call it a day!

[Lee]

LizaJane

Even you can't be stupid enough t believe that all kids start out with the same fair chance at a quality education....Because that is what seem to imply by your calluous and snide response to my post...

That is that all childen who fail only so so because they are lazy...

To use your word....sheesh!!

[LizaJane]

Lee, I told you. I can't talk to you anymore. Heck, alot of folks don't make any sense to you besides me, and we do notice you didn't address Livlyred's contribution and thoughts here. What I said made perfect sense out of your nonsense!

What you got out of my *snide* remark (as if your comments aren't always 100% snide) is incorrect as usual. It had nothing to do with the quality of education either. And if this Arizona group here who wants to pay kids to go to school isn't about combating laziness what is it about?

I think this is about keeping kids in school-because these children don't have a clue apparently about what it takes to be somebody or at least what it might take to be the best person you can be in this world.

Gee, has anyone asked them what they want to be when they grow up? Or talked to them about how that might happen? Or told them how wonderful it was that they were born? Or spoke to them about never giving up? Nope!! And as far as I can tell, you and your ilk are the ones telling them life has to be fair! Then on top of that expect somebody besides their parents to talk to them about most things. And since life is not gonna be fair at all most days -heck these kids are all confused.

Then you and your ilk want to eliminate the spiritual side of life as well-or in the least make even talking about that part of life seem ridiculous or "primitive" (your word)-unless you've been on Oprah or a member or talking point for the Democratic Party of course-or represent some "diversity" hip to tolerate at the moment. But that's a whole other issue too.

As for "quality of education" that's another topic once again. And if free education in a country such as ours isn't a "fair chance" heck I don't know what is.

[LizaJane]

You missed RD's comment too Lee!! SHEESH!