Philly principal pays students $100 to keep the peace

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Wednesday, February 14, 2018
VIDEO: Philly principal pays kids for peace
Watch the report from Action News at 4:30 p.m. on February 13, 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.

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.

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.

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