Philly principal pays students $100 to keep the peace

Wednesday, February 14, 2018
SOUTHWEST PHILADELPHIA -- The principal at a Southwest Philadelphia elementary school has a cold, hard incentive to get eighth graders stop fighting -- cash.

Stephanie Andrewlevich is the principal at Mitchell Elementary School, and here's how she's, as she puts it, managing behavior.
[Ads /]
If all eighth graders make it to graduation with no physical violence, each student gets $100.

It's drawn both cheers and criticism. But either way, she says it's working.
[Ads /]
So far this year, only eight percent of the eighth graders have been suspended. That's down 17 percent from last year.

As for who will foot the $3,300 bill if the peace promotion works, Andrewlevich says she'll pay for it herself unless a sponsor steps up.
Copyright © 2024 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.