tacky but I'm sure a happy meal beats a carrot as an incentive device.

Yes, our McD's offered free something with a good report card when I was a kid (DECADES ago). But, that envelope is essentially a McD's advertisement, which is very not cool for a school to be issuing. Plus, it's poorly written, and it's "two or fewer absences," not "two or less." Shouldn't a school, at least, be using proper grammar?

Wow, they REALLY need to censor that name better. Took me about ten seconds in Photoshop to reverse it.

I remember when i was little (back in the late 70s/early 80s) Mcdonalds occasionally worked with schools to offer free food as incentives to good grades or during some special school event. They never advertised on report cards or in school, but special coupons were given out as rewards by teachers for good grades etc. etc..

It didnt happen often & was pretty low-key.

I remember the Book It program, and getting free Pizza Hut personal pizzas for reading. I read like a fiend all through childhood. Hm, I wonder why I was a fat child? hahahaaha.

McDonalds is not making kids fat. Its the parents of the fat kids that are making them fat.

I remember when I was in grade school...you got a free cheeseburger for every A you got. I always wondered why the kids with the best grades were always overweight with horrible acne.

Yeah, someone gets an F in Redacting. I can read the name through the black marker without any manipulation. No Happy Meal for you.

@sonichghog: So kids, stop eating your parents. It's fattening and gross.

Well, it is Florida.

Isn't it McDonald's claim that their Happy Meals are healthy if you pick the alternatives? (That might not be true but that's what they're saying, isn't it?)

"McDonald's does not advertise in schools...

Someone from corporate will take this seriously in 5...4...3...

Either things like this - or more tax money. Most will say they don't like advertisements to kids like this, but few are willing to open their wallets to pay more to let the schools have the money to do what they need to do.

The arcade by my old hometown had a deal where you'd get a certain number of tokens for every A and B on your report card. This really isn't any different...

My 2nd grader just got a personal pan pizza certificate to go with the other ten that she has. She has also has gotten free taco certificates. Both for meeting reading goals. This is in Virginia. I agree with the rewarding part, but why fast food? How about free cheap merchandise or something.

I think if the only time a kid has McDonald's is once per report card, you are teaching them the very important lesson that it's ok to have a treat occasionally to reward yourself, but not every day. At least that's what I learned from the fact I only got pizza when I earned it from book-it. How this message comes across is much more dependent on the parents than McDonald's or the school. Not saying its a good thing that could be continued, just saying if I had a child that earned one, I'd proudly let them go redeem it, even though it would be their first time at McDonald's ever.

At least there's some positive reinforcement for the good grades or attendance. Not everyone here thinks it's positive -- but most kids do. Can't you just see the little bookworm going up to the cashier with the report card? Come on, it's all good

Well, seeing as the Florida schools have their funds tied up in subprime investments, I'm sure this is just the tip of the iceberg.

I was a fat kid with a bad report card. I had to earn my happy meals through whining and tantrums. It's much easier than extra reading.

so its ok when pizza hut advertised on the report cards?

AnneCA: I noticed the "2 or less absences" right away. Ugh.

Good job! Here's some free obesity, on us!

Funny, I'm more pissed off that they are actually advertising on REPORT CARDS than who did it. Seriously, what's next?

@K-Bo: Of course, when the message is that "McDonald's is a treat for good deeds", that subconsciously raises the value of McDonald's from just another dining option to a special occasion. Why do you think McD's and BK's promote birthday parties so much? Because they want to implant the association between nasty yet irresistable burgers (at least for me) and good times.

@Hossofcourse: "positive reinforcement" doesn't mean what you think it means.

@Mike_: Same here

The problem isn't the "we'll give you free crap food for good grades" part, it's that McDonald's advertising is plastered on the report card itself. I want my kids (and everyone else's, for that matter) to go to school to learn things, not to be subtly indoctrinated into good little fast food consumers. They should give Ronald a little tag that says "School Nutritionist" -- that would be the icing on the cake.

At least they didn't have the Hamburgler pass the cards out during lunch time.

as a concerned parent, i demand warning labels on all junk food, just like they have on cigarettes, cds, and hot coffee.

@spinachdip: I can see where you are coming from, but the end effect is up to the parents. Mine taught me that treats aren't for everyday, and I can count the times I eat non-subway fast food in a year on one hand. But some people will consider it a treat and decide they have to treat themselves every day. Then again, with that kind of entitlement altitude, they probably can't afford anything other than McDonald's because they are too busy trying not to have their houses that cost 2X what they can really afford foreclosed on.

They do similar things at my cousin's school (currently) and frankly it sickens me. They give out coupons for free McDonalds for good grades, good behavior perfect attendance etc..

The arcade tokens are a much better idea except there aren't any arcades around here that have this promotion, its a good idea provided you don't eat at the arcade and they will probably get more excercise at the arcade then they do at home.

@SaraAB87: But sureley someone will moan about how Video Games are bad for kids.

@K-Bo: Wasn't there a list on this site a few weeks go showing how bad the non fast food menues were for you.

I think there was some pasta dish out there that would make eating 2 big macs look like the healthy choise.

I dislike this mainly for the advertising creep, not for the healthiness of the item advertised.

Is it wrong for me to reward my child with some ice cream for hard work and success? I think not.

It is my responsibility to teach my child that ice cream is a treat. Or that McDonald's is not a healthy meal, but fun to have on occasion.

@sonichghog: yeah, but arcades aren't as bad. Most of them have basketball hoops and other games that at least require you to stand up for an hour or so.

@K-Bo: The funny thing is, I stopped eating fast food because it's so damn expensive. These days, I stock up on frozen meals from Trader Joe's for when I'm too busy/lazy.

I actually don't disagree with you on parental responsibility, but that still doesn't make it right for schools to sell themselves to the highest bidder and allow them to exploit kids who are more susceptible to promotional tactics like this.

Food makers who target children claim, "Our advertising doesn't have any effect on obesity. We just put out what the kids want and the parents buy." But then I wonder, why are they spending billions on advertising if it's not really up to them?

When I have kids I hope I don't reward their good grades with diabetes.

I had Book It! when I was younger. I'm not fat and never have been. I see no problem with McDonald's offering something similar. I have a problem with idiotic parents feeding their kids fast food 5 out of 7 nights and blaming someone else for their kid(s) being fat.

You know, there's this thing called free choice. You don't HAVE to buy things that are advertised at you. Try some personal responsibility instead of making something someone else's fault. Do I scream bloody murder every time there's a Mcdonalds' ad on TV? Is it the network's fault for advertising them? No. I just don't have to eat there if I don't want to.

I don't know what's sadder... that even school report cards are now branded, or that schools are so underfunded they have to resort to sh*t like this.

I guess the fact that McDonalds would stoop this low would be sad to, but I guess my expectations were already pretty low on that front...

Back in elementary school, a B or better rewarded you a wheel of coupons. This ranged from a free game of bowling and laser tag to free personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut and Free fries from McDonalds. Taco Bell gave out free cinasticks.

I think the bigger outrage here is the fact that a public school doesn't have enough money to print a report card and has to resort to funding from a corporate giant.

Personally I don't like it, but it looks like it's necessary in this case with tight funding. I agree with those above who say it teaches a lesson that doing well will earn you the occasional treat/reward as long as the parents reinforce this line of thinking when taking their children to claim it.

Sidenote, I'd like to hear from the libertarians out there. Isn't this exactly what you want?

@mopar_man: Exactly, I had book it, and I graduated high school as a 102 lb bookworm. But that's because I have a mom who was addicted to prevention magazine, and fed healthy food 98% of the time. 10 Years now since I left the house and I'm 106lbs because in general, I don't even crave junk food. Even when I do eat junk, I don't normally finish it all, because it sits so heavy when you are used to healthier foods. Wasn't easy for my parent to raise us this way, took more effort to make a healthy meal than pick up a burger. But every time another one of my uncles gets diagnosed with Diabetes, I'm thankful for the way my parents taught me to eat.

Wait, so McDonald's was lying when it said it didn't advertise to kids? SHOCKING!

Are you surprised? This IS Florida we're talking about here. The state with one of the highest dropout rates in the country. Next they'll be bribing kids with money to stay in school.

@silvanx: Did you miss the rest of this thread where those of us in school 20 years ago were getting coupons, too? Reading Comprehension 101 ftw.

Good God.

let them eat their damn happy meals.

@R3PUBLIC0N: Photoshop? I just had to look really close.

And you've gotta admit, at least Chuck E. Cheese has the good sense to keep their ads for this program inside the restaurants.

@spinachdip: Seconded on Trader Joe's. I hear there's this thing about cooking for one's self, but due to pack rat parents, I'm totally unfamiliar with the concept.

I think it's a pretty cool incentive. My school district never offered anything like that as a kid. But I'd rather see Coldstone as a sponsor, that McDs.

@Shadowfire: Yes I did miss that. Doesn't change the fact that this is a new low.