Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/9051
Public school kids now a captive advertising audience? S pongeBob Elementary School? Hostess Twinkies Middle School? Wal-Mart Senior High? None of these schools are real. But as districts throughout the state face mounting budget prob- lems, officials are turning to cor- porate sponsors in hopes that advertise- ments will bring in extra dollars. For ex- ample, Chino Uni- fied School District may place advertis- ing on everything from lunch tray lin- ers to floor mats to educational materi- als to assembly pro- grams, as well as banners in hallways; and South Pasadena schools are encourag- ing Hollywood producers to film TV shows on district property. Reaction to the commercial- ization trend among CTA mem- Justine Cunningham Associated Chino Teachers bers varies. Some worry that stu- dents will, in effect, become a captive advertising audience for corporate America to manipu- late. Others welcome such help from private companies willing to assist public schools. “They are considering this af- ter cutting $32 mil- lion for the next three years in Chi- no, and they still have more to go,” says Justine Cun- ningham, president of Associated Chino Teachers (ACT). “I realize that the dis- trict needs to find ways to balance the budget. My concern is that children seem to be targeted everywhere; and school has always been a safe haven. When we use children to help balance the bud- get, it doesn’t seem right. They are affected enough with class sizes Corporate Takeover • • • • • • Chino Unified School District may place advertising on everything from lunch tray liners to floor mats to educational materials to assembly programs, as well as banners in hallways. The Santa Rosa school board voted in September to allow advertisers to purchase sponsorships and naming rights for Santa Rosa schools. Beverly Hills Unified School District has mulled over ordering logo T-shirts, hats and other items to cash in on the popularity of the TV show “Beverly Hills, 90210.” Such items, geared toward teens, would be sold in department stores. San Diego County approved selling naming rights to sixth-grade science camps. South Pasadena schools are encouraging Hollywood producers to film TV shows on district property. Mission Viejo High School explored the possibility of allowing a firm in Texas to construct an open-air IMAX-type theater on the athletic field to show movies at night and on weekends, but the deal fell through. being raised, school site budget cuts, and the elimination of pro- grams.” “Right now it may seem like a good thing, but at a certain point, it’s going to be too much,” says Todd Hancock, an ACT member at Ayala High School. “I don’t mind advertisements on stadium scoreboards or even lunch trays. But I would not like to see them on classroom doors, hallways or fences because it’s too much pol- lution. And putting them on text- books is not a good thing. There needs to be a definite distinction between schools and commer- cialism, because you don’t want companies and corporations con- trolling school districts. The next thing you know, they’ll be saying, ‘We gave your school $1 million and we expect you to do this and this for us.’” In Santa Rosa, which cut $8 million and is expecting to cut another $5.6 million, school board members asserted their authority to reject inappropri- ate school naming rights and other advertisements. This in- cludes selling space to alcohol and cigarette companies as well as religious and political orga- nizations. “We have not taken a position as an association,” says Santa Ro- sa Teachers Association Presi- dent Dan Evans. “I have heard many concerns about the propri- ety of advertising private busi- ness at schools. It actually is now done at some of the high school fields. Given the safeguards and restrictions that have been made contingent with the district pol- icy, I personally have no problem with the policy in these tight budget times.” In Las Virgenes Unified School District, there has been talk of put- 34 California Educator | MARCH 2010 ting corporate names on panels covering ceiling lights inside the district office and in hallways, and putting advertisers’ names on elec- tric signs outside the school. Offi- cials are also talking about selling naming rights to school libraries, multipurpose rooms, gymnasi- ums and football fields. Parents will get the first opportunity for purchase, perhaps to memorialize family members, and such rights may expand to corporate sponsors and will be renewable. “Every year they have been cutting our budget,” says Sandi Pope, president of the Las Virgenes Educators Association. “It’s sad to see commercialization of our schools, but if the state can’t fund schools, districts are forced to find their own funding sourc- es. As long as it doesn’t interfere with instruction, more power to them. I’d rather see this happen than hear more talk about in- creasing class sizes, cutting jobs and cutting salaries.” Unhappy parents in at least one school district were heard murmuring in the audience that school trustees were “pimping off ” community schools in ex- change for cash. The Campaign for a Commer- cial-Free Childhood, based in Boston, strongly objects to adver- tising in schools. “Today, as never before, the lives of children are saturated with commercial mar- keting,” states the website. “Schools turn to marketers to al- leviate financial woes, but many marketing activities generate lit- tle, if any, revenue. Students are harmed when schools promote corporate profits at the expense of children’s health and well-being. Schools should be a haven from commercialism.” SHERRY POSNICK-GOODWIN