More than 300 ninth-graders paid to attend summer school

Ever wonder where your tax dollars are going? For those that live in Washington, D.C., they could be headed to pay for a ninth-grader to attend summer school, according to The Examiner.

More than 300 at-risk ninth-graders in Washington public schools will be earning $5.25 an hour. The schools are hoping to target students that are less likely to graduate in four years, according to the article.

This isn't the first time the city has paid students to learn. In the school years of 2008-09 and 2009-10, middle-students were paid $100 for good grades. A Harvard University group conducted the program, according to The Examiner.

"Grades overall didn't improve significantly," said the article.

Not everyone is on board to paying students to learn. "How much will we pay going forward, and who will we pay, and what's the cutoff to get paid?" said Chuck Thies, a local political consultant. "It's critical that we get at-risk students and underperforming students and failing students into the program, but I don't think incentivizing them with money sends the right message."

Email: ehong@desnews.com