Recently, while visiting a school district in New Jersey, I struggled getting my bags into the back of an administrator's car due to a large box of supplies from an acne cream company. He apologized for the obstacle and explained he needed to get the box shipped back to the company as their school district had a policy of no commercial advertising in school. It reminded me of the responsibility we all share to monitor the ethics of the increasing commercial presence in our schools. The debate surfaces periodically around the nation, especially when large scale endeavors, such as Channel One, begin to request district contracts.
Most communities appear to take an extreme stand one way or the other.
In one corner you have districts such as the one in New Jersey which have firm policies against such things. They are adamant - no book covers, no concession machines in the hall, no Channel One. In the other corner you have the communities who apparently do not notice, or truly don't care that their children are bombarded with corporate sponsorship and advertising in all areas of their school day- from television commercials in the classroom to billboards in the hall and lunchrooms and ads on their school buses. Communities in the later group tend to rationalize the situation with the fact that the kids see so many commercials out of school, on road billboards and television, that a few more hours during the day can't hurt - and besides, it is a substantial asset to the school coffers. Communities who have banned such activity campaign that it is exploitation and a use of undue influence on a population so open to suggestion and peer pressure.