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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lane3 who wrote (67739)	9/7/2004 1:43:21 PM
From: Lane3	Respond to of 793707

Krispy Kreme has announced plans to introduce a sugar-free doughnut later this year. Since the key part of the article (IMO))is off topic and the article is about education, I'm posting the entire article...<g> The Carrot (or Doughnut) or the Stick? By Jabari Asim Tuesday, September 7, 2004; 10:33 AM Just a few weeks ago this column addressed recent events in Kansas City, Mo., where the school district rewarded summer school students who received C's or better with Visa gift cards worth up to $150. I questioned whether paying kids for average grades was little more than offering bribes for mediocrity. Since then my interest has been further aroused by reports from Palm Beach County in Florida. According to The Associated Press, Krispy Kreme plans to offer doughnuts to students there who get good marks this school year. Under the plan, students in grades K-6 will receive one free doughnut for every A on their report card, with a limit of 6 per grading period. Krispy Kreme has announced plans to introduce a sugar-free doughnut later this year. In the meantime, Palm Beach County students, who like the rest of the nation's youngsters face rising obesity rates, will have to make do with the company's current fat-laden fare. The Palm Beach Post reports that an original glazed Krispy Kreme doughnut is packed with 200 calories, 12 grams of fat and 22 grams of carbohydrates. Thanks to such waistline-expanding goodies, students with the highest grade-point-averages needn't limit their achievement to academic pursuits: They can also have the highest blood pressure and cholesterol counts. No doubt Krispy Kreme hopes to derive some good will as well as develop customer loyalty from the promotion. Since going public in April 2000, the company has struggled with declining sales and dipping stock prices. The Securities and Exchange Commission is also looking into accounting practices at the Winston-Salem, N.C.-based firm. The best thing that can be said about the school campaign is that it at least rewards kids for A's and not C's. Still, I hope that principals in Palm Beach, who are empowered to decide whether or not their schools will participate, will decline the doughnut maker's transparent attempt to sugarcoat its image. Both the Visa promotion in Kansas City and Krispy Kreme's cruller caper point to a dilemma that seems to become more complex with each school year. In an increasingly complicated and overscheduled society, how can Americans maintain that precarious balance between coddling our kids and stressing them out? Parents and schools are searching for ways to keep students interested and motivated without simply plying them with money or cavity-inducing sweets. For Atlanta-based educator Ron Clark, it's not about what you decide to reward kids with; it's about how and when you choose to do it. Clark, the author of "The Excellent 11: Qualities Teachers and Parents Use to Motivate, Inspire and Educate Children," told me it's better to reward sporadically than on a barter or give-and-take basis. "Avoid saying `if you make five A's, you'll get $5 per A,"' he said. "It's better to say, `if you work hard you'll be rewarded.' It's going to be much more effective if you do something random." Clark writes of hosting free pizza parties for his students after they have completed challenging projects. He also stresses that both parents and teachers need to show enthusiasm for learning. "If the parents are excited, the kids will be excited," he said. "The parents set the tone at the beginning of the school year." According to Clark, parents must keep up with what's going on in the classroom if they want to maintain that excitement. He suggests developing activities to supplement the teachers' lessons, such as renting appropriate movies or going to see a related exhibit at a museum. "Parents must take the responsibility to motivate their kids. For them as well as teachers, it's important to meet kids where they are." I asked Clark how parents can tell when they're pushing too hard. "I always tell my parents you need to push them. When they get to a point where they're complaining and frustrated, you have to back off some so that they won't see education as something that's negative. Let the kid's attitude dictate how much you're pushing them." Clark, who recently toured schools in 49 states, also cites teacher burnout as a challenge to educational success. "I sometimes think we put our resources in the wrong place," he said. "The key is to get the best-educated, intelligent and enthusiastic teachers in every classroom. The best way to do that is to pay them." Cash prizes to recognize outstanding teachers would be a far healthier use of corporate charity -- and would spread lots of public-relations good will as well. Are you listening, Krispy Kreme?