Rush Limbaugh's Morning Update: Buy-a-Grade

Rush Limbaugh: You know, folks, sometimes innovation just isn't appreciated.

Last year, the Rosewood Middle School in Goldsboro, North Carolina decided that a "chocolate sale" would be a good fundraiser. It flopped. So this year, the parent advisory council came up with a bold, innovative approach. For a mere $20, the school would sell 20 points -- which students could apply toward two test grades.

In some cases, those extra points would allow a student who got a "B" on a test, to get an "A." For others, the points could have been the "make-or-break"; the deciding factor between a passing or failing test grade.

The principal of the school (appropriately, a chick), Susie Shepherd, signed off on the idea. She said the bought-and-paid-for points would not be enough to have any real impact on the students' overall grades, so no problem-o, amigos! (A little Bob Griese lingo there for you.)

Sadly, state officials at North Carolina's Department of Public Instruction did not see the visionary promise of this great idea. They said exchanging grades for money is a wrong lesson for children to learn. Then county administrators got into the act, and killed the idea

So no extra credit will be awarded after all, and all donated money will be returned. Thus, innovation in school grading died... which really is a shame, folks, because in many public schools -- especially in blue states -- the "buy-a-grade" concept might be the closest thing to capitalism that students will ever be exposed to in the classroom. It really is too bad.

Read the Background Material on the Morning Update...
• AP: NC school officials nix cash-for-grades fundraiser