I debated this topic this week on Fox News with Tamara Holder. My points notwithstanding about whether this is fair or just, the question for me becomes, “Is it psychologically and culturally destructive?” I believe it is.

Tamara adamantly disagreed. “These are private companies,” she said in the interview on “Your World with Neil Cavuto.” “I have worked in the city and I’ve seen that a lot of parents aren’t involved in their children’s education because they don’t have an education of their own, they don’t value it, or whatever. … but here private individuals coming in and saying … there is actually a value in going to class and you do get something, you do get rewarded.”

Cavuto asked, “What does that say about our society now that you have to pay kids off this way to get them to go to school?”

It says a lot more than we may want to admit.

The messages we send our children are critical. Psychologically, an elementary or junior-high student will have trouble distinguishing that they will one day need to do more than “show up” to get a reward.

Sports teams in schools are now awarding “participation” trophies. Kids are given “awards” for self-esteem, rather than athletic or academic accomplishment. This is not only unproductive, this is damaging to our children and their future for several reasons…