Advertising in Schools

Advertising has contributed to the fabric of education in America on many levels. Students willingly carry corporate logos on their bodies and learn in rooms with advertising on wall posters and from books with cartoon advertisements on the covers. Their teachers tell them to quietly watch Channel One, then go to their next class through a hallway lined by vending machines with exclusive rights. They leave school on [Page 21]a bus with advertising on the ceiling and come back to school for the football game on the billboard-lined stadium. They sell raffle tickets for a new car and coupon books for hundreds of local businesses.

Advertising in American schools gained legitimacy and rose to prominence during the twentieth century. Corporations desire partnerships with school systems in order to market directly to teachers, students, and community members. Schools favor partnerships with corporations because corporate sponsorship may increase the school's ability to fulfill certain needs.

There are other aspects of school advertising. Many private and charter schools, for example, use billboards, radio, and television to let the community know about their work and often send promotional material to other schools. In a time of accountability, public K-12s are also required, by No Child Left Behind (NCLB), to advertise school proficiency test scores. NCLB also has provided military recruiters with as much physical space as afforded colleges and universities. Military access to students has been challenged in high schools and colleges. Parents and students may attempt to “opt out” of military contact, but generally must do so on a yearly basis.

The greatest debate over school advertising, however, involves corporate advertising to teachers and students. The question is whether the benefits of revenue, technological equipment, or instructional assistance linked to corporate partnerships outweigh the potential detriment to students who may become more accepting, and less critical, of commercial messages.