In the spring of 1999, the parents proposed a set of principles written by Alex Molnar, of Milwaukee State University, that were generally accepted by the board. School District 23's interpretation of the principles established that there will be no advertising in schools, and logos can be used for identification purposes only. Other business publicity in schools, for example in the gyms, would be limited to sports teams, tournaments, and vending machines. There is a real push by companies to gain access to students in schools. Corporations are attempting to gain customers by having their products promoted to a captive audience in a setting where there is a lot of credibility for what is presented to students.
Corporations are in business to make profits for their shareholders.
Selling corporations access to students is clearly contrary to our Code of Ethics. We are educating citizens, not providing customers. As demonstrated in these examples, if we speak up and act, we can ensure that the learning environment is protected. Peter Owens is editor of Teacher newsmagazine .