Dec 20 2008
Selling Ads on Tests to Pay for School Supplies
I recently read an article about a high school math teacher in San Diego that puts advertisements on his quizzes and tests to raise money so he can buy more school supplies. Is that what it has come down to? He solicits local businesses to generate ad revenue because of his districts recent budget cuts. The ads are mostly inspirational quotes from parents or mom and pop local businesses that are trying to help this teacher out.
With budget cuts in school districts, teachers are spending more out-of-pocket money on school supplies. Teachers spend $500 or more a year of their own money to buy basic things like markers, grade books, and paper. How many other businesses require employees to shell out hundreds of dollars a year to be able to do their job effectively? In a a day where CEO’s are getting paid over a million dollar severance pay and pompous athletes are getting paid millions a year, it just does not seem right that a teacher has to create advertisement revenue just so he can make enough copies of a test for his class.
The economy is suffering and districts are getting less and less money to help support the teachers by providing supplies and resources. This may or may not improve with a new administration in the White House come January. The teachers need to continue to do their jobs and students need the materials to study and learn. The question becomes, is it resourceful and innovative or audacious and unethical to place ads on school tests and quizzes?
Wow, that’s a tough one.
The only problem I have with it, I guess, is that initially the ads are inspirational quotes from local businesses. However, as has been known to happen, human beings tend to push the envelope a bit.
What happens when the inspirational quotes become more than that and the advertisers are no longer local businesses?
It’s unfortunate that teachers are put in a position to have to seek such advertisement.