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Michelle E.
Shaw, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 16, 2008
The money was nice, but it wasn't what kept Jailyn Brown in a
pilot program that paid students $8 an hour to study.
The 14-year-old eighth grader was among a small group of Fulton
County students who took part in "Learn & Earn," a privately
funded after-school tutoring program with monetary rewards.
"It was his success that really got him excited," said his mom,
Alanna Taylor. "He got more benefit from his good grades than
the money."
Tuesday, more than 35 students celebrated the end of the 15-week
pilot program. Parents and program supporters gathered to
congratulate the students.
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich sent a video by his
daughter, Jackie Cushman, president of the Learning Makes a
Difference Foundation board of directors.
He told students they are now "part of history," and that the
teachers, students and parents were the "heart of this
experiment."
Each student's official results won't be released until June or
July, but Taylor said she has seen marked improvement in her son
and his grades.
"There were concerns about him moving to the ninth grade in the
beginning," she said. "But not any more."
Jailyn said he was once failing math and science, but now is
passing both classes. "I've even got A's and B's in science," he
said.
The program, which began in January, was conducted at Bear Creek
Middle and neighboring Creekside High. Twenty students from each
school were in the trial group. Students barely making academic
standards, or those performing below the mark in math and
science, were picked for the first run.
Program administrators estimated three students dropped out of
the program.
The initiative was funded by Charles Loudermilk, chairman and
chief executive officer of Aaron Rents, through the Learning
Makes a Difference Foundation, a local nonprofit designed to
improve education. Loudermilk, who did not attend the
celebration, committed the entire budget of $60,000.
Cushman didn't say whether the program would survive past its
pilot stage.
"Let's just see what the results are and go from there," she
told the parents.
At the rate of $8 an hour or $32 a week, Jailyn and the other
students had the chance to earn $480 by the end of the school
year. The amount they actually earned was tied to their
attendance and participation.
Taylor said Jailyn put a lot of his money in a savings account.
"We also used this opportunity to teach budgeting and how to
spend money," she said. "And in the end, he didn't do it for the
money. He did it for himself."
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