Chicago Public Schools will pay some high school freshman for grades above a D. An A is worth $50, a B is $35, and a C is $20.
John Yolich teaches at the Uplift high school on Chicago’s North Side, one of 20 schools in the program this year. He says it will make grading more of a challenge.
YOLICH: With money, you put all this scrutiny to it. What is an A? What is an A in your classroom? You’re always going to be constantly checking yourself. And then, the kids are checking themselves as well. So, we’re all going to be working harder. But I think that’s a good thing.
Students will get half the money upfront. After graduating from high school, they get the rest. The district says private donations will pay for the $2 million program.