Tuesday is report card day for Chicago Public Schools, and the district is giving some parents a little something extra to get involved.
As an incentive to show up, CPS plans to dole out $25 Walgreens gift cards at 70 schools. Mayor Rahm Emanuel introduced the idea two weeks ago after the suburban-based drug store chain debuted its new rewards card this fall.
The mayor said the gift cards are a way to help encourage parents to be involved in schools with some of the lowest noted parental involvement, but some wonder if the giveaway is more bribe than incentive. The value of the total cards being distributed is not known.
This isn't the first time gift cards have played a role in CPS. Last year, the first 250 students who participated in a Walgreens-sponsored health fair received a $25 gift card.
All public schools in Chicago will hand out report cards on Tuesday. Grade and high schools typically follow different schedules, but the district wants to save on make-up days from the teacher's strike.
It's the first time report cards landed on the same day for everyone in more than a decade.
