It’s not particularly difficult to figure out what’s coming next.
Under the new “Capital Gains” program, students at the 14 schools –which have yet to be selected — will have the chance to earn up to$100 every two weeks, based on a series of metrics includingattendance, behavior and academic performance. Students will get debitcards — uh, oh— and the money will be deposited in a bank that will be selectedshortly, officials said. The program will cost $2.7 million, splitbetween the District and Harvard, Rhee said.
Harvard professor Roland Fryer,who founded the Harvard initiative dubbed “School is Money,” appearedwith Fenty and Rhee and said preliminary data in New York is positiveand more complete data will be examined this fall.
Predictably, Fenty and Rhee were grilled by reporters about whetherpaying students sends the right message. Rhee said it does because itprepares students for getting a job, where showing up, beingprofessional and doing good work is rewarded with a pay check.
So do you do your job for money? Post columnist Marc Fisher asked Rhee.
“I don’t do it for the money. If I did it for the money, I’d bedoing something else,” Rhee replied. “But would I do it for free? I’dhave a hard time with that.”