More on “Emilio”

A year of minimum wage work might do more to motivate many students to learn than anything the educational system will ever be able to do. We ought to throw these lazy, under-motivated students out earlier — while they still have a chance to come back and change their behavior. When we shelter them while they do nothing for year after year, we help to engrain habits that will lead to possible lifelong failure. Emilio is not learning to work. If anything, he is learning the opposite.