Comments on: Paying the poor to do right doesn’t work. Or does it? http://trueslant.com/megancottrell/2010/04/12/paying-the-poor-to-do-right-doesnt-work-or-does-it/ Chronicling Chicago's public housing, poverty and urban problems Sun, 29 Jan 2012 20:46:24 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Did Chicago’s merit pay system fail or did it fail teachers? - Megan Cottrell - One Story Up - True/Slant http://trueslant.com/megancottrell/2010/04/12/paying-the-poor-to-do-right-doesnt-work-or-does-it/comment-page-1/#comment-1012 Did Chicago’s merit pay system fail or did it fail teachers? - Megan Cottrell - One Story Up - True/Slant Wed, 02 Jun 2010 19:23:57 +0000 http://trueslant.com/megancottrell/?p=1103#comment-1012 [...] quoted this study before when talking about anti-poverty incentive programs, but it’s worth citing again. School programs that paid students for doing well only work on [...] [...] quoted this study before when talking about anti-poverty incentive programs, but it’s worth citing again. School programs that paid students for doing well only work on [...]

]]> By: Megan Cottrell http://trueslant.com/megancottrell/2010/04/12/paying-the-poor-to-do-right-doesnt-work-or-does-it/comment-page-1/#comment-850 Megan Cottrell Tue, 13 Apr 2010 15:53:02 +0000 http://trueslant.com/megancottrell/?p=1103#comment-850 I think those kind of incentives would work better, as far as actually helping kids succeed. The trouble is, they're difficult to document. For the program, each time the parents or kids completed something, they had to get a lot of documentation to show they actually did it. It's more difficult to prove you read to your kid, and more likely that people could try to abuse those kinds of incentives. It's tricky to figure out what will work and what we can actually show is happening. Thanks for reading! I think those kind of incentives would work better, as far as actually helping kids succeed. The trouble is, they’re difficult to document. For the program, each time the parents or kids completed something, they had to get a lot of documentation to show they actually did it. It’s more difficult to prove you read to your kid, and more likely that people could try to abuse those kinds of incentives.

It’s tricky to figure out what will work and what we can actually show is happening. Thanks for reading!

]]> By: Nancy Miller http://trueslant.com/megancottrell/2010/04/12/paying-the-poor-to-do-right-doesnt-work-or-does-it/comment-page-1/#comment-849 Nancy Miller Tue, 13 Apr 2010 15:33:53 +0000 http://trueslant.com/megancottrell/?p=1103#comment-849 Interesting post. I wonder if the education incentives would work better if the parents were rewarded for supervising homework or reading to their younger kids every night. That would be less likely to conflict with work issues. For big, busy households, I wonder if you could reward older siblings for helping the younger ones with their homework. Interesting post. I wonder if the education incentives would work better if the parents were rewarded for supervising homework or reading to their younger kids every night. That would be less likely to conflict with work issues. For big, busy households, I wonder if you could reward older siblings for helping the younger ones with their homework.

]]> By: Michael Salmonowicz http://trueslant.com/megancottrell/2010/04/12/paying-the-poor-to-do-right-doesnt-work-or-does-it/comment-page-1/#comment-848 Michael Salmonowicz Tue, 13 Apr 2010 15:31:10 +0000 http://trueslant.com/megancottrell/?p=1103#comment-848 Great post, Megan. Thanks for doing the legwork and actually reading the MDRC report. I read the AP story a few weeks ago and came away discouraged, especially because I've followed the original version of this program in Mexico (where it's called Oportunidades -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oportunidades) for years and thought it made much more sense than our country's current welfare programs. It's nice to know that the New York pilot did have a positive impact; hopefully NYC and other cities around the country use this report to improve and expand the program. Great post, Megan. Thanks for doing the legwork and actually reading the MDRC report. I read the AP story a few weeks ago and came away discouraged, especially because I’ve followed the original version of this program in Mexico (where it’s called Oportunidades — http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oportunidades) for years and thought it made much more sense than our country’s current welfare programs. It’s nice to know that the New York pilot did have a positive impact; hopefully NYC and other cities around the country use this report to improve and expand the program.

]]> By: andylevinson http://trueslant.com/megancottrell/2010/04/12/paying-the-poor-to-do-right-doesnt-work-or-does-it/comment-page-1/#comment-847 andylevinson Tue, 13 Apr 2010 14:28:07 +0000 http://trueslant.com/megancottrell/?p=1103#comment-847 Hey.....paying the congress, harry reid, pelosi, and Obama to do right....doesn't work, either..... Hey…..paying the congress, harry reid, pelosi, and Obama to do right….doesn’t work, either…..

]]> By: scottchaffee http://trueslant.com/megancottrell/2010/04/12/paying-the-poor-to-do-right-doesnt-work-or-does-it/comment-page-1/#comment-846 scottchaffee Tue, 13 Apr 2010 14:05:05 +0000 http://trueslant.com/megancottrell/?p=1103#comment-846 We've certainly subsidized the wealthy with little to show for it. I agree, any program to reduce poverty will take more than a few years to see results. Those quick to criticize or find fault may want to examine motive. We’ve certainly subsidized the wealthy with little to show for it. I agree, any program to reduce poverty will take more than a few years to see results. Those quick to criticize or find fault may want to examine motive.

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