Education Law

This Space for Sale - Captive Audience Included

Today there is an AP story out about advertising on school buses to help schools make up budget deficits. 

Washington lawmakers considered the idea of school bus advertising this year, and the concept is also being tossed around in Ohio, New Jersey and Utah. About half a dozen states already allow bus advertising — including Colorado, Arizona, Florida, Minnesota, Tennessee and Texas.

I'll keep this simple - this is gross and we need to avoid it. The commercialization of schools has always been a slippery slope that we must be vigilant against. The captive, impressionable audience that schools offer is so tantalizing to capital driven business interests that if we give them an inch, they'll take a foot or more.

I don't blame the superintendents that have utilized this method to get more revenue, but state departments or legislatures that authorize this type of activity are highly suspect. Superintendents will always push the envelope of entrepreneurship - but state offices must be responsible for the bounds of acceptability and ensure that we are treating our impressionable youth with caution - lest capitalism commoditize our kids on the government's watch. 

Full post as published by Edjurist on March 19, 2010 (boomark / email).