Arkansas Will Pay Up To $1,000 Cash To Kids Who Pass AP Computer Science A Exam

theodp writes: The State of Arkansas will be handing out cash to high school students who pass an Advanced Placement test in computer science. "The purpose of the incentive program is to increase the number of qualifying scores (3, 4, or 5) on Advanced Placement Computer Science A exams," explained a press release for the Arkansas Advanced Placement Computer Science A Incentive Program (only 87 Arkansas public school students passed the AP CS A exam in 2016, according to College Board data). Gov. Asa Hutchinson added, "The Arkansas Department of Education's incentive for high scores on the AP Computer Science A exam is a terrific way to reward our students for their hard work in school. The real payoff for their hard work, of course, is when they show their excellent transcripts to potential employers who offer good salaries for their skills." The tiered monetary awards call for public school students receiving a top score of 5 on the AP CS A exam to receive $1,000, with another $250 going to their schools. Scores of 4 will earn students $750 and schools $150, while a score of 3 will result in a $250 payday for students and $50 for their schools. The program evokes memories of the College Board's Google-funded AP STEM Access program, which rewarded AP STEM teachers with a $100 DonorsChoose.org gift card for each student who received a 3, 4, or 5 on an AP exam. DonorsChoose.org credits were also offered later by tech-bankrolled Code.org and Google to teachers who got their students coding.

Comments

or....

[zlives]

you could just fucking pay the teachers to teach and not pass a fucking test.

Re:or....

[rmdingler]

Wouldn't it be great if we lived in a society that valued teachers above all professions, or shite, at least above coaches? The best of the best would teach the next generation, and it would be an honor to do so.

We're not as advanced as we like to believe, as evidenced by how earlier, more primitive societies valued healers high enough within their social hierarchies that it was unnecessary to gouge the patients for the life-saving treatments they administered.

Maybe, we just have our priorities all assed up...

Re:Translation

[PopeRatzo]

Translation we want our kids to move to California.

I can't imagine there's anyone living in Arkansas that doesn't want to move to California.

College students need the money...

[Anonymous Cashews]

A thousand dollars is enough money to cover one year of textbooks at a college.

What's not to understand

[rsilvergun]

Cheap tech workers brought here on H1-B visas are massively driving down wages in the tech sector. Yes, they're mostly Indian, but it would be the same thing if they were Chinese, African, or whatever nationality. They're only supposed to be brought here for jobs there are no Americans for, but I've seen numerous companies post adverts for H1-Bs specifically.

Given this trend I discouraged my kid from studying IT and encouraged them to go into medicine. This is a better route for them because the medical industry has a workers advocacy group (The American Medical Association) that functions as a Union and lobbies for policies that help keep their wages high.

Now, if my kid was a natural mathematical genius this wouldn't be an issue. But then my kid wouldn't really be going into IT, it'd really be a Math job that happens to use computers as tools to do the math. But that's a moot point. My kid isn't a math wiz and would have had to work really, really hard to make it in IT. So I encourage my kid to put that effort into something that's going to be more stable and pay better in the long run.

I've never understood why it is that when the rich do things in their economic best interests it's smart business but if the working class do it they're being petty, racists or nationalistic. I mean, I know why it happens (ruling elite own the media and they're pushing an anti-worker, pro-corporate right wing agenda) but I don't know why the working class falls for it so much. My grandpappy knew when he was getting screwed by his boss and he and his Union didn't take that shit.