$20 Can Buy a Better Grade?

Yep.  $20 can buy you a better grade in North Carolina, according to this article by newsobserver.com.  Here’s the money quote:

A $20 donation to Rosewood Middle School would have gotten a student 20 test points – 10 extra points on two tests of the student’s choosing. That could raise a B to an A, or a failing grade to a D.

This brilliant idea came from a parent advisory panel. Wow.  Nice parenting, North Carolina.  Thankfully, the school district stepped in and put a stop to this outrageous fundraiser idea.

Look, I’m all for kids receiving extra credit by doing extra work because it is credit earned.  In theory, the extra work increased the student’s knowledge even if a parent helps with the extra credit assignment.

However, buying extra credit is just another terrible manifestation of “helicopter parenting” (here’s a wikipedia link if you don’t know what that is)…and it’s not even very good helicopter parenting.  It’s just plain lazy helicopter parenting.

My kids are still young.  My oldest wont’ be in kindergarten until fall 2011.  I’m going to try my darnedest to avoid helicopter parenting.  A grade earned is a grade earned.  That’s the manly way.