I remember a high school classmate telling me how her parents had promised her a $100 bill for every A she brought home. I sensed an opportunity and quickly tried to broker a similar deal with my own padres. Not a chance. My grades were something I had to earn, through hard work, not cold cash, they reasoned, gosh darn them.

Of course, they were right, and their sage advice came to mind when I read about the peculiar grading system employed by one high school in southwest Florida. Apparently students taking honors journalism class at Naples High School aren’t evaluated merely on their writing skills or reporting abilities, but their salesmanship. According to the syllabus, $600 worth of ad sales will get you an A, $500 a B, and $400 a C; anything less than $300 and you’ve failed that particular assignment.

District officials and board members expressed concern upon learning about this particular assessment model. “It bothers me. I don’t think you should be able to buy a grade,” Collier County School Board Member Linda Abbott told a local television station. “We have to come up with a better way to encourage participation.”

Indeed, under this scenario, I would’ve been better off approaching my teacher, rather than my parents.

Naomi Dillon, Senior Editor