When I was growing up, I was always a bit jealous of--if also a little perplexed by--the practice of parents "paying" their children for good grades on report cards. For example, an A earns you $10, a B $5.

I'm considerably more perplexed by the latest way of rewarding students for good grades: McDonald's has struck a deal with a Florida district to give fat-laden beef patties on crappy rolls to elementary school kids who earn top grades and who have good attendance. Connie Bennett explains: