Financial and material inducements for students a bad idea

Prepaid cellphones, MP3 players, gift certificates, and cash for completing periodic tests, for acing courses, and for improving scores on assessment tests. School officials who are desperate to raise test scores and close the achievement gap separating white and minority students are paying kids who put up good numbers. I do not agree with this. Why isn't their future enough incentive? I was self-motivated and didn't have to have my parents hound me to do my homework. Doing well in school was a given so that college also a given in my household would be an after-thought. Although I do admit my parents paid us for every "A" we received (a whopping dollar an "A") until my sister and I began making straight "A"s. I am sure the money is NOT what made me achieve in school. It was just a nice reward for my hardwork that set the stage for my future success: Phi Beta Kappa, Dean's List every semester in college, and other accolades. Because of my self-motivated achievements, I was able to enter the Federal Government under the Outstanding Scholar's program, a stream-lined hiring process becoming a Federal Agent. I didn't need inducements beyond my future and I don't think we should offer any to students today. It's like getting paid at home for every little thing the child does. Shouldn't being a part of the household mean the child should contribute by doing chores? They are not helping with the mortgage or utilities so helping as they can should be a given with no financial inducements. A nominal allowance to begin teaching that work equals pay is fine but no extra money should be paid for additional chores. If children complain, then some of their extras should cease and they will see being a part of the household means helping without getting paid for every little thing. Actually, I think it is the environment parents have created at home that has led to having to pay atudents to achieve. Children nowadays won't do anything unless they see a financial return from it. We need to stop the madness and it begins at home. Let us not continue the madness in school. Your future should be the driving force for your performance.