I am shaking! Paying kids to go to school a very bad idea.

I am shaking

Re "Can cash get kids to attend school?," Jan. 17:  Let’s make America great again by making parents accountable again.

The article about paying kids to go to school has me utterly shaking my head in disbelief. We’re actually considering bribing kids to go to school.

What a concept to initiate kindergarteners into school. Versus instituting right and wrong, morals and values, and the educational structure that everyone goes through. Parents are supposed to be accountable for their kids until 18.

Cash rewards for going to school? Why would anyone think taxpayers should do that?

Hold them accountable, fine or charge them and maybe we could also alleviate all these 11 to 15-year-olds that keep stealing cars and being involved in gun violence.

How do you not know where your 13-year-old is at 2 a.m. or that they have access to a gun? Still shaking my head.

Sheri Pierce, Columbus

Bill misguided and shortsighted

The bipartisan bill sponsored by State Reps. Bill Seitz, R-Green Twp., and Dani Isaacsohn, D-Evanston, to offer cash rewards for school attendance and graduation may be well intentioned but is misguided and shortsighted.

Paying students to attend class will teach them that money comes before knowledge.

School attendance offering creative and engaging learning experiences offers opportunities to master skills necessary to succeed in life.  Simply getting paid misses this entire point of coming to school.

Cash rewards for going to school? Why would anyone think taxpayers should do that?

Seitz and Isaacsohn speak of "incentives" and a "culture of attendance."

To truly incentivize and create a culture that serves our youth we must encourage a culture of learning. This is created through modeling a desire and passion for learning. This starts in the home, broadens into our communities and is embraced, modeled and encouraged by all.  It takes a village to raise a child.

I urge Seitz and Isaacsohn to rethink their strategies to improve school attendance by engaging with veteran and retired classroom educators and parents in finding other means than paying students to do what is already in their best interest.

John Seryak, Reynoldsburg

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Why Ohio should not pay kids to go to school