Corporate Censorship In Public Schools

A corporate sponsorship is a form of advertising in which companies pay to be associated with certain schools or events in return for putting up their signage and promoting their products to the kids and the people attending the events. Many schools today are struggling with acquiring money that is greatly needed to help keep their schools running and their equipment up to date to ensure the best possible education for the student. These things include paying their staff, training their staff, classroom books, technology, maintenance of facilities, etc. There are many ways for these schools to raise funds for operating costs. Some schools attempt to pass tax levies and tax bonds asking the residents of the school district to increase the

It is hard for large schools on a budget to keep up with buying the proper computers and software that kids should be using for their education. Between 1994 and 2004, IBM’s Reinventing Education initiative awarded $75 million in grants to various public schools, “It was estimated that over 90,000 teachers and millions of students used the educational technology tools designed and donated by IBM. To further prove their commitment to education,” (Potter 13) This is an example of how a corporate sponsorship can be very beneficial to public education, as well as private education. Not only do these sponsorships help schools but they help the community in which the school is located. In an interview with a superintendent that allows corporate sponsorships in their schools, they stated, “These partnerships help the schools to thrive and be successful and, in turn, people want to move here and live here.” It was shown for instance in Mehlville School District that since 2008 housing values in the district fell by $226 million dollars because the schools were being consistently underfunded and no tax levies had been passed to help fund the schools in over 20 years. Test scores were falling, teachers were being underpaid, there was no money for proper training of the teachers, curriculum revisions, athletics, clubs, etc., thus people did not want to live in a district where their children were not going to get a good education. Luckily for Prop R passing in November, 2015 these things are now being funded a little more so things are looking up for the district. Along with this tax raise the two high schools in the district also have sponsorships with Coca-Cola, which is greatly welcomed by administration of the two schools. In an interview with the principle at