Seems to me that they are trying to just throw money at the problem instead of actually fixing the fact that teaching strategies and techniques are uninteresting and outdated.  Beef up what you're teaching, make it interesting, and actually teach what kids want to learn and you shouldn't have to pay them to be there and to learn.  Seems a whole other lesson is being learned... pay me and I'll perform for you.  LIke it's stated in the article... We should be instilling a want/desire to learn, not get paid to pass a test.