Sociology | Children protection » Alex Molnar - Parents, Are You Aware of the Commercial Activity in Your School

Source: http://www.doksinet Parents, Are You Aware of the Commercial Activity in Your School? You Should Be By Alex Molnar Dispirited fans of professional sports sometimes look nostalgically back at high school as a place of innocence in their favorite games, a place free from the money-hungry ethos that has become synonymous with the nations pastimes. They may not be able to do so much longer. Schools are joining full-swing in a trend once limited to professional sports stadiums and convention centers: selling naming rights. In Brooklawn, New Jersey, a school board raised funds to defray the cost of a new gymnasium last year by naming the facility for the only supermarket in town, ShopRite, for $100,000. Then the school board proceeded to name its vice president to the new post of director of corporate development, charging him with the task of selling naming rights for everything from baseball field foul lines to the schools proposed new library. Brooklawns wasnt a novel strategy;

schools across the country are auctioning off not just sports scoreboards, but gym floors, building roofs, indeed, virtually any potential display space to any willing company seeking a place to convey a message to audiences of students and their parents. Schools are now part of the corporate branding of virtually every public space. Using Schools to Boost Brand Loyalty Commercialism in the classroom isnt new. Over the last two decades, however, corporations have dramatically increased their involvement in education. Today, almost every large corporation sponsors some type of inschool promotional project, from advertising on school buses, on scoreboards, and in lunchrooms, to the creation of curriculum materials for science, government, history, math, and current events classes. Corporations seeking to sew up the brand loyalty of impressionable young people have found willing accomplices in American public schools. In return for corporate cash--often in relatively paltry

amounts--schools are allowing marketers sweeping rights to promote commercial messages inside schoolhouse walls. Commercial messages in school serve a variety of interests and cover a variety of topics, but among the most prevalent are messages that relate to 1 Source: http://www.doksinet nutrition and that promote unhealthy dietary habits, including the consumption of candy, fast foods, snack foods, and sugar-loaded soft drinks. Some schoolhouse commercialism activities seek to build good will for industries or individual companies; others promote industry views relating to controversial subjects, such as environmental science. Many, however, seek to influence buying patterns, particularly for products that children and teenagers buy, such as clothing, athletic shoes, candy, fast food, and soft drinks. The reason for corporate interest in school-age children is clear: collectively, the spending power of 6- to 19-year-old consumers adds up to $485 billion per year. Meanwhile,

financially strapped and resource-poor schools find it difficult to resist corporate-sponsored educational materials and ads-especially when they come with free computers or other needed resources. The trend toward commercialization of the classroom and niche marketing to students can be expected to grow in coming years as children enter school in greater numbers, as childrens purchasing power and consumer influence grow, and as other consumer markets become saturated. As James U. McNeal, a professor of marketing at Texas A&M University, wrote in a 1998 American Demographics article, "Children are the brightest star of the consumer constellation.A company can virtually guarantee itself customers tomorrow if it invests in them as children today." Undermining the Health of Students As commercialism increases in schools, obesity is rising among American children. Obesity is both a problem in itself and an indicator generally of the health of children. It has been the subject

of recent inquiry by researchers and concern among policy makers. In October 2002, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that obesity in children has tripled in the last two decades. According to 1999-2000 data, 15 percent--or 9 million--of children and teenagers ages 6 to 19 were overweight. Also in October 2002, the White House sponsored a Healthy Schools Summit, at which speakers lamented rising malnourishment as well as obesity among children while health classes are eliminated and vending machines--and less-than-healthful cafeteria menus--continue to influence students nutritional choices. A 2001 study by David S. Ludwig, Karen E Peterson, and Stephen L Gortmaker examined the relationship between the consumption of soft drinks and the incidence of obesity in school-age children. The study confirmed an association between rising softdrink consumption and obesity. Obesity-related health problems generally seen in adults are increasingly 2 Source:

http://www.doksinet showing up in overweight children. A June 2000 study by Grace Wyshak found physically active girls who consume cola drinks are five times more likely to have suffered bone fractures than girls who do not drink soft drinks. Other reports indicate increased numbers of children afflicted with type 2 diabetes (commonly known as adult-onset diabetes), sleep apnea, gall bladder disease, and asthma worsened by obesity. In September 2002, the British medical journal The Lancet editorialized: "The soaring increase in obesity and type 2 diabetes among children is a public-health crisis, plausibly linked to the toxic environment created in large part by the food industry." Fast-food companies, to increase profits, encourage customers to order combination meals (entree, side dish, and drink), larger portion sizes, or both, for a modest additional charge. "Supersized" or "combo meals" mean that a single meal may provide more calories than most

children require for an entire day. Experts suggest that obese and overweight children are at high risk for becoming obese and overweight adults. A 2002 study by RAND suggests that obesity may constitute a more serious health problem, in terms of chronic health issues and health care expenditures, than either smoking or drinking alcohol. Keeping Commercial Activity in Check School districts, teachers, and parents have begun to look critically at corporate-sponsored educational materials and other commercial activities in schools. Parent groups large and small have passed resolutions and policy directives on the subject, including National PTA, the Wisconsin PTA, and the Seattle Citizens Campaign for Commercial-Free Schools. Local school boards have begun reining in commercial activities. In Seattle, advertising was severely restricted, and in Los Angeles the school board banned the sale of soft drinks beginning in 2004, citing an epidemic of adolescent obesity in its decision. A number

of professional organizations have developed voluntary guidelines to help determine which, if any, corporate-sponsored educational materials have merit. These organizations include the National Education Association, the Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals in Business, and the various organizations that have adopted the Milwaukee Principles for Corporate Involvement in the Schools. (More information about organizations and their use of these guidelines can be found at the Commercialism in Education Research Unit website, www.schoolcommercialismorg) The American Academy of Pediatrics also has published material critical of commercialism in schools that promotes unhealthy nutrition and eating habits (See "Required TV Program in Schools Encourages Poor Lifestyle Choices" available online at www.aaporg/advocacy/reid1100htm) 3 Source: http://www.doksinet As recently as 15 years ago, a tacit, national community standard existed between the private and public sector around

the purpose of public education and the role of schools as laboratories of citizenship, free of commercial pressures. The growing commercialization of the classroom is only part of a larger change in thinking about, funding, and reforming public education in America. The man behind the Brooklawn, New Jersey, schools decision to sell naming rights for its gym to the ShopRite supermarket was not unmindful of its impact. Superintendent John Kellmayer acknowledged in a Washington Post article that selling a schools naming rights represented "the privatization of public responsibility." He added: "Well be the first school district to be branded with a corporate logo. You hope children can become sophisticated enough to deal with it." Such "sophistication" may have its price, however. We might just as well say that we hope our children become cynical enough to dismiss such adult behavior with a wink and a nod. At a time when adults talk at length about the need

to teach virtue and character in the schools, incidents such as these teach children volumes about what adults actually mean by "virtue" and "character." What Are the Main Types of Classroom Commercialism? At the Education Policy Studies Laboratory, the Commercialism in Education Research Unit has been monitoring classroom commercialism by tracking references to the practice in public media for more than a decade. Researchers at the Commercialism in Education Research Unit have found increases in references to each category from 1990 to 2002. Moreover, each category includes practices that potentially undermine childrens health: • Sponsorship of programs and activities. Corporations paying for or subsidizing school events and/or one-time activities in return for the right to associate their name with the events and activities. These programs are frequently sponsored by, and promote the products of, makers of fast foods, snack foods, and sweets. • Exclusive

agreements. Agreements between schools and corporations that give corporations the exclusive right to sell and promote their goods and/or services in the school district--for example, exclusive rights for PepsiCola or Coca-Cola. In return, the district or school receives a percentage of the profits derived from the arrangement. 4 Source: http://www.doksinet • Incentive programs. Corporate programs that provide money, goods, or services to a school or school district when its students, parents, or staff engage in a specified activity, such as collecting particular product labels or cash register receipts from particular stores. Among the best-known such programs is the fast-food company Pizza Huts Book-It program, which rewards children with free pizzas for completing quotas of reading. • Appropriation of space. The allocation of school space such as scoreboards, rooftops, bulletin boards, walls, and textbooks on which corporations may place corporate logos and/or advertising

messages for a wide range of products, including soft drinks and snack foods. • Sponsored educational materials. Materials supplied by corporations and/or trade associations that claim to have an instructional content. The Tootsie Roll geography quiz mentioned below is but one example. • Electronic marketing. The provision of electronic programming, equipment, or both in return for the right to advertise to students or their families and community members in the school when they contact the school or district. • Privatization. Management of schools or school programs by private forprofit corporations or other non-public entities Contracting school cafeterias to fast-food franchises is perhaps the most obvious example of such privatization schemes. • Fund-raising. Commercial programs marketed to schools to raise funds for school programs and activities, including door-to-door sales, affinity marketing programs, and similar ventures. Many fund-raising programs rely on the sale of

food, including frozen pizzas, candy, and the like. Perhaps the most well-known school-based marketing effort is Channel One, the ad-bearing TV news program for middle and high school students laced with ads for candy, fast foods, and soft drinks. Examples of other lesser-known activities that promote behavior antithetical to good health and nutrition include a geography unit for 3rd-graders, in which students locate major cities according to where Tootsie Rolls are made and sold; and the "Chocolate Dream Machine," a nutrition guide and video that promote Hersheys chocolate to middle and high school students. Alex Molnar is a professor of education policy studies and director of the Education Policy Studies Laboratory at Arizona State University. He is the author of Giving Kids the Business: The Commercialization of Americas Schools (Westview Press, 1996). 5 Source: http://www.doksinet Molnar, Alex. "Parents, Are You Aware of the Commercial Activity in Your School?

." Our Children Vol 28, No 4 Jan/Feb 2003: 9-11 Web. 13 Oct 2011 6 Source: http://www.doksinet ADVERTISERS AIM FOR YOUTHS: Messages for Pizza, Soda, Bombard Pupils by Julie Edgar Free Press Staff Writer When Bobby ambles into his elementary school in the morning, he might pass under a banner emblazoned with a CVS/pharmacy logo. While Sarah cheers for her high schools football team, her eye will no doubt light on signs for Nike, Dominos Pizza and even a local car dealership. Coca-Cola and Pepsi have already claimed childrens thirst in schools throughout the land. In recent years theyve been joined by an array of retailers and media corporations reaching beyond college and professional sports venues to mine a rich vein of future customers. As revenues stagnate or decline, school districts are finding that their coffers get a big boost from relationships with the private sector. And parents dont seem to mind. Theyve been quiet in Royal Oak, where the school district recently

signed a 7-year, $315,000 contract with Coca-Cola and PepsiCo and added vending machines in Dondero and Kimball high schools. "We communicated with parents, and were careful not to push anything," said G. Anders Linnell, executive director of business affairs for the district. And they havent mentioned the CVS banner at the entry of Avery Elementary School in Oak Park, said a spokeswoman for the Berkley School District. The banner is a gesture of gratitude for the $250,000 the company gave to the district for two camps this summer for at-risk students and teacher training, said Gwen Ahearn. But criticism is mounting in congressional and academic circles as the number of corporations encroaching on school grounds continues to rise. Last Thursday, the U.S General Accounting Office released a report calling schoolhouse marketing a "growing industry" that is largely unregulated. Michigan was singled out as a state with few parameters. The seven school districts the GAO

studied--including Grand Rapids 7 Source: http://www.doksinet and Ludington--have contracts with soft-drink makers; media-based programs such as ZapMe!, which provide personal computers with personalized Web browsers that regularly show advertisements, and companies that provide money for athletics in exchange for scoreboard logos. On the same day, the Center for the Analysis of Commercialism in Education at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee released its third annual report that showed a 395-percent increase since last year in the number of mentions in the popular, business, education and advertising/marketing press of examples of commercialization in schools. Alex Molnar, a professor of education who wrote the Wisconsin report, said he thinks of advertising in schools this way: "Its spiritually degrading in the sense that it encourages children to believe they are what they possess." In June, the Michigan Dental Association issued a statement condemning, for health

reasons, the beverage contracts in schools, among them a $2.2-million deal between Coca-Cola and PepsiCo and 12 Oakland and Genesee districts. Although the Farmington School District declined to join that consortium--it already has its own Pepsi and Coke contracts and sells Tubby submarines and Dominos Pizza in its high school cafeterias-its school board was taken by surprise earlier this month by the presence of commercial messages on the Farmington High School football field. The schools football boosters independently set up contracts with eight companies including Nike, Farmer Jack, Dominos Pizza and Bob Saks, a car dealership, that amount to $400 and $600 each for 1-and 2-year contracts. Next month, the board will consider guidelines on the advertising, but it may be too late to rescind the contracts, even if not everyone is opposed to them. "I ask myself which is worse--kids going out selling products door to door or having a few banners on the fence of your football

field," said board member Linda Enberg. Doug Szopo, president of Farmington High Schools football boosters, said the banners are not unprecedented. Last year, his group checked out other schools in the area, including North Farmington and Walled Lake Central high schools, that had hung commercial banners on their playing fields. 8 Source: http://www.doksinet He said the contracts enable his group to buy things like Gatorade and athletic socks for team members, even if it doesnt free them from selling school sweatshirts and holding an annual crafts show to raise money for the team. "Were not the first to do it, and I felt like it was done in good taste," Szopo said. Plymouth Canton Community Schools is involved in a variety of partnerships, including an exclusive contract with Coca-Cola to sell its products in its two high schools. A truck for the marching bands equipment sports a Dominos Pizza logo--the company paid for the painting of the vehicle. And the Community

Federal Credit Union, whose canvas bags children tote, has a presence inside elementary schools as a learning project, so students "learn about money, about saving--a whole host of life skills," said district spokeswoman Judy Evola. These kinds of business-academic partnerships, as they are often called, differ little from the more blatant varieties, said Mike Bernacchi, a marketing professor at the University of Detroit Mercy. "As the Supreme Court once said, theres a distinction without there being a real difference; once youre in, youre in. No matter how philanthropic the heart, the hand is business and the idea of business is to be in business. They want something from this," he said Farmington school board member R. Jack Inch is wary about any advertising on school grounds, a feeling he attributes to his age--hes 69--and childhood memories of sports venues uncluttered with placards and banners. "I am not great for the commercialization of education. Im

very oldfashioned, thats all I think weve been invaded," he said * Contact Julie Edgar at 248-586-2605 or edgar@freepress.com Edgar, Julie. "Advertisers Aim for Youths" Detroit Free Press (Detroit, MI) Sept 21 2000: n.p Web 13 Oct 2011 9 Source: http://www.doksinet School-Bus Advertising Would Give Districts Options During Difficult Times By Paull Shin OLYMPIA, Wash., Feb 11Washington State Sen Paull Shin, R21st District, issued the following news release: Last year, the Legislature cut more than $1 billion from our K-12 schools. We laid off 1,166 teachers and increased class sizes and made such deep cuts to education that I wonder if our schools will ever recover. We didnt do this because we wanted towe did it because we had no choice. Tax collections were severely down and we heard loudly from the community that you didnt want more taxes. We minimized the cuts to schools as much as we could, but it was still a painful budget for education. Can you imagine a college

professor for more than 30 years voting to lay off teachers, shut down schools and increase class sizes? That was me, and it still pains me to think about it. Ive devoted my entire life to education, and yet I found myself voting to cut funding for schools. The states economy has continued to shrink since the Legislature balanced our budget last year and tax revenues have continued to drop. The Legislature now faces another $26 billion deficit on top of the $9 billion shortfall we dealt with last year. I cant imagine going back to our schools, laying off more teachers and preventing more students from getting the help they need to succeed. Thats why, when a former bus driver came to me with an idea to increase revenue for our schools, I jumped at his idea and introduced Senate Bill 6466. By allowing school districts to sell advertising on school buses, the Legislature could provide school boards with another tool for generating revenue and ensuring that children have the resources they

need to learn. In tough times, we need to be creative about how we operate our government. Contrary to the Feb. 1 Seattle Times editorial ("Dont sell out kids," Opinion), putting advertising on school buses would not create unsafe distractions to motorists. My grandchildren ride the bus to school every day and I would not promote an idea that would put them at risk. 10 Source: http://www.doksinet Several other states already allow advertising on school buses and no studies have shown that advertising undermines public safety. Advertising can be seen all over our city buses and we dont hear about distracted motorists rear-ending buses. Why? Because it doesnt happen. I trust our local school boards to set and enforce appropriate guidelines for advertising on school buses. School boards are close to their communities and know better than I what their communities need and want. By giving them the ability to put advertising on school buses, the Legislature is allowing school

districts to think outside the box and educate our children without raising taxes. This wont supplant state funding of our schoolsit is just a way for local districts to raise additional funds as they see fit. I understand that some people fear the over commercialization of children. I fear that as well But my greater fear is a classroom without books, schools without teachers, and a community without its future. For more information please contact: Sarabjit Jagirdar, Email:htsyndication@hindustantimes.com Shin, Paull. "School-Bus Advertising Would Give Districts Options" US Fed News Service (Washington, DC). 12 Feb 2010: np Web 13 Oct 2011. 11 Source: http://www.doksinet A Balancing Act By April Moore • Faced with increased advertising in schools, how can districts find the right balance between corporate support and commercial infringement? Corporate advertising is part of daily school life in more than 80 percent of the nations public elementary, middle, and high

schools, according to a recent study. But in todays media-saturated world, where everyone is faced with pop-up ads, Instant Messaging, product placement, and a constant barrage of traditional and nontraditional marketing, is such ubiquitous school advertising a problem? Many educators and others would say--and have said--yes. They connect the rise in childhood obesity to the infiltration of media into schools. They point to schools trying to raise money for chronically underfunded programs as taking the "easy money" from the corporate world. "Parents and students trust schools to keep students best interest at heart," says Brita Butler-Wall, a member of the Seattle School Board, "so students are harmed when schools subject them to ads for products that are not good for them, such as sugary soft drinks and snack foods high in fat and salt." However, the "anything goes" trend in school advertising seems to be shifting, albeit slowly. Responding to

widespread concern about the connection between childhood obesity and the consumption of soft drinks, the Coca-Cola Company and other beverage companies worked with the Affiance for a Healthier Generation--a joint initiative of the William J. Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association--to establish new guidelines to limit portion sizes and reduce the number of calories available during the school day. Under these guidelines, announced last May, only lower calorie and higher nutrition beverages will be sold in school vending machines. But advertising is not going away anytime soon. The question for school leaders is: How can schools find the right balance between corporate support and commercial infringement? A Recent Phenomenon This enlisting of students in viewing, reading, and hearing commercial 12 Source: http://www.doksinet messages at school is a relatively recent phenomenon. Until the late 20th century, there was virtually no advertising in schools. But in 1989,

along came Channel One. Since then, this 12-minute daily television news program, produced by Primedia Corp., has been offered to middle and high schools around the country, along with the loan of classroom television equipment, in exchange for administrators promise that at least 90 percent of students will watch the program every day. Channel One is currently watched by 7 million students in thousands of schools. "Corporations have come to see children as a very lucrative market," says Rob Williams, a member of Vermonts Waitsfield Elementary School board of education. "After all, children and teens have a lot of buying power, they influence their parents spending, and the brand loyalties they establish today may last for decades." Today, advertising permeates many aspects of schools. Consider the following: • Children on school buses listen to Bus Radio, a program of music, celebrity "news," and frequent invitations to visit the ad-filled Bus Radio

website. • Pre-K children are given Pizza Hut certificates after theyve listened to the teacher read aloud for a certain amount of time. • Students are given large sheets of paper, to be used as book jackets, that are covered with ads for Frosted Flakes cereal and Lays Potato Chips. • Third-graders learn about geography with free materials that help them to locate major cities where Tootsie Rolls are manufactured. Corporate partners also sponsor school programs and activities, including sports teams, high school stadiums, and fundraisers, such as General Mills "Box Tops for Education" effort. Alex Molnar, director of the Commercialism in Education Research Unit at Arizona State University, says schools "perceive a direct benefit from programs that provide them with funds or relieve them of certain expenses." Increased budget pressures, he says, have compelled many schools and districts to find new ways to fund programs. Channel One has aroused controversy

since its inception. Opponents argue that students are a captive audience, subjected to two minutes 13 Source: http://www.doksinet of advertising during every 12-minute broadcast. Others, however, like David Zwingel, principal of Rugby Junior-Senior High School in Rugby, N.D, praise the service "With students busy schedules," he says, "its unlikely that kids would keep up with the news without Channel One." Zwingel notes that the advertising on Channel One has shifted over time away from unhealthful products like candy toward more healthful foods and toward public service announcements. Zwingel, who serves on the Channel One board, explains that he and other board members preview ads for age appropriateness, accuracy, and relevance before they are aired. Money on the Line Just how much money do school-business partnerships generate? Not as much as you would think. Molnar sought to answer this question when he surveyed public school officials around the country.

In 2003-04, 674 percent reported receiving no income at all, 12.7 percent received between $1 and $2,500, 13.3 percent received between $2,501 and $10,000, 48 percent received between $10,001 and $25,000, 1.5 percent received between $25,001 and $50,000, and 0.4 percent received more than $50,000. "The financial return is pretty low," says Williams, the Vermont school board member, "and the price of giving corporate marketers access to our kids in school is high." Even corporate-school contracts that appear likely to yield a lot of money may not, according to Molnar. He describes an analysis of a headline-making $1.53 million, 10-year contract Coca-Cola signed with New Yorks North Syracuse Central School District. According to the analyst, public health researcher and nutritionist Marion Nestle, that contract provided only $15 per student per year. An analysis of 120 contracts in 16 states between schools and beverage corporations showed that the amount of money

raised came to an average of just $18 per student per year, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest and the Public Health Advocacy Institute. The majority of revenue from the contracts-derived from the students purchases of beverages--is going to the drink manufacturers, not to the schools, the two organizations charge. Even though schools are searching for alternative revenue sources, it appears that most school programs would not suffer significant 14 Source: http://www.doksinet adverse impact from the absence of advertising agreements. More than 85 percent of the school officials representing schools that allow corporate advertising reported to Molnar that none of their programs or activities would be reduced in the absence of such arrangements. But not all educators agree that income from corporate advertisers is insignificant. Jay Engeln says that when he was a school principal in Colorado Springs, Colo., his district "was able to build an alternative

high school, thanks to its $10 million contract with Coke." Engeln, now resident practitioner at the Council for Corporate & School Partnerships, funded by Coca-Cola, says ads on the outside of school buses, in hallways, and in gyms contributed needed revenue as well. "There hadnt been a bond issue in 28 years, and we were faced with the choice of cutting programs or finding other sources of money," he says. When Californias Templeton Unified School District began selling advertising space in school buses, then-Superintendent Gary Duke told the Los Angeles Times, "Were a school district. Were not a marketing agency. Id rather not be doing it because its not what schools should be doing. But we need the money" The Impact of Commercialism What is the impact of commercialism in schools? Butler-Wall, the Seattle board member, says it can create a false image that products are being endorsed by the school. Jill Wynns, a board member in the San Francisco Unified

School District, says commercials in schools are "undercutting the educational message." "They learn in health classes how important it is to eat plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, and to limit their intake of foods and drinks that are high in sugar, fat, and salt. Then students leave the health class only to find soda and nachos in the cafeteria," says Wynns, noting that schools in her district did not suffer financially when the board banned all advertising. Some research suggests that the effects are more serious. Susan Linn, an instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, cites research by Knox College psychologist Tim Kasser that links high exposure to advertising with higher rates of childhood depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and psychosomatic illnesses. Linn also points to research by Wheelock College education professor Diane 15 Source: http://www.doksinet Levin, showing that children exposed to a great deal of advertising engage

in much less creative play. This is a problem, Linn maintains, because creative play forms the foundation for the development of childrens critical thinking ability. Some educators, also concerned that young people are bombarded with commercial messages, say teaching media literacy could help mitigate some of the ill effects of advertising in and out of school. "Since high school students are engaged with some form of media for more than 40 hours a week, they need to know how to navigate it," says Tessa Jolls, president and CEO of the Los Angeles-based Center for Media Literacy, which helps teachers show students how to analyze commercial messages to understand how and by whom they were sent, and for what purpose. "This understanding is critical," Joll says, "so that young people can be empowered to make wise decisions." Unfortunately, she says, such classes are not, at this point, widespread. Success Stories Obviously, bringing the business community into

schools is not all bad, and there are many examples of successful school-business partnerships where direct advertising is not involved. Among them: • Students in a high school auto mechanics class, using equipment donated by a local car dealership, perform inspections and tune-ups on cars that have been traded in to the dealership. In addition to making it possible for students to work on newer cars than the school could provide, the partnership gives students the opportunity, one day a week, to work with a certified mechanic at the dealership. • After determining with a school principal that the schools greatest needs were improvement in student achievement and increased parent involvement, a local investment management company began providing tutoring help. Company employees volunteer up to six hours a month of work time to tutor students and their parents. • A local construction and engineering firm provides its area schools with funding to hire retired teachers to assist

permanent teachers. These types of partnerships are supported by educators who created the Milwaukee Principles for Corporate Involvement in Schools. The 16 Source: http://www.doksinet principles have been endorsed by the National Association of State Boards of Education, as well as by many national education organizations, state school superintendents, and local school boards. "School boards and school administrators can use help in establishing guidelines to enable them to make wise decisions regarding corporate involvement in schools," Butler-Wall says of the principles. Advertising in schools can play a constructive role, maintains Engelin, especially when the community helps establish guidelines. When he was a principal in Colorado Springs, he recalls, community members participated in the approval of such ads as those from a community college, a credit union, and the local utility. "The community helped determine that ads would be placed on the outside of school

buses, in school halls, and in the gym," Engelin says, "but not in the classrooms." And despite legitimate warnings about commercialism, Engelin points out that there are many examples of concerned businesses responding creatively to help schools. "Critics of business-school partnerships forget that its often a matter of small local businesses helping schools in need," he says. April Moore (aprildmoore@comcast.net) is a freelance writer based in Albuquerque, N.M Moore, April. "A Balancing Act" American School Board Journal Vol 194, No. 5 May 2007: 28-30 Web 13 Oct 2011 In Public Schools, the Name Game As a Donor Lure By Tamar Lewin PHILADELPHIA--Next fall, a stunning $55 million high school will open on the edge of Fairmount Park here. For now, it is called the School of the Future, a state-of-the-art building with features like a Web design laboratory and a green roof that incorporates a stormwater management system. But it may turn out to be the

school of the 17 Source: http://www.doksinet future in another sense, too: It is a public school being used to raise a lot of private money. A glossy brochure offers dozens of opportunities for donors to get their name or corporate logo emblazoned on the walls: $1 million for the performing arts pavilion, $750,00 for the gyms or the main administrative suite (including the principals office), $500,000 for the food court/cybercafe, $50,000 for the science laboratories, $25,000 for each of the classrooms, and so on. Microsoft, a partner in designing the school, has already committed $100,000 for the Microsoft Visitors Center. For a cool $5 million, a donor gets the grand prize--naming the school. "My approach is Leave No Dollar Behind," said Paul Vallas, chief executive of the Philadelphia schools, although he added that a school board review of each transaction would weed out undesirable donors, which he said included tobacco and liquor companies. "There are tremendous

needs in this system," Mr. Vallas said, "where 85 percent of the kids are below poverty level. Im not uncomfortable with corporations giving us money and getting their names on things. As long as its not inappropriate, I dont see any downside." Four years ago, it was big news when the small Brooklawn, N.J, school district got a $100,000 donation from a local supermarket and christened its new gym the ShopRite of Brooklawn Center. Then came the Rust-Oleum Field at Vernon Hills High School, north of Chicago, (a $100,000 donation) and the Eastern Financial Florida Credit Union stadium at Everglades High School in Broward County, Fla. (a $500,000 donation) Now, naming rights have expanded nationwide--and far beyond athletic facilities. Strapped school districts have begun a blitz of new efforts to attract private money. Many have hired development officers to seek out their communitys big donors, and consider everything from corporate sponsorship of the high school prom to

selling advertising space on school roofs. In states where it is legal, there are districts that now sell advertisements on their school buses. And districts across the country are for the first time dangling naming privileges as an incentive to contribute or rewriting their policies to specify what can be made available for what level of donation. Because the whole issue is so new, education officials say it is hard 18 Source: http://www.doksinet to know how to proceed. Frank Till, the Broward County superintendent, said his district started thinking about naming rights several years ago, when The Miami Herald expressed interest in having a stadium at Flanagan High School carry its name. "It didnt go anywhere, mostly because we didnt have a policy, and we didnt know what was a fair value," Mr. Till said "Now weve adopted a formal policy and a process for deciding whats acceptable, and were ready to go. The board just signed off on school bus advertising, and were

going to look into selling space on some school roofs that you fly over on the way into Fort Lauderdale. Were just hoping someone out there will be interested." The push for private money stems from several different pressures, school officials say. In most states, tight budgets, new government requirements and rising operating costs have left the pool of state education financing too small to keep up with school needs or desires. Many communities already feel taxed out and are unwilling to support increases in local property taxes. And public schools have become increasingly aware of how colleges, hospitals and private schools use naming rights in fund-raising. "Were trying to act like the development office of a private school," said Cindy Johnson, a former school board member in Newburyport, Mass., who now runs a foundation to raise private money for the district. "They cant live on tuition alone, and we cant live on taxes alone." Over the last five years,

public schools have become an increasingly popular cause for corporations, society donors and foundations. In New York, since Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg took control of the schools, he and Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein have raised $311 million in private funds. The benefits are clear--new schools, new playgrounds and refurbished libraries. But policy experts and school officials say private financing for public schools carries real risks: What happens if and when the private money dries up? Will donors take a disproportionate role in shaping school policy? And each time private money fills the gaps left by public financing, does it enable legislators and taxpayers to shrug off responsibility for supporting education? "Public schools are the most important public institutions outside of 19 Source: http://www.doksinet government," said Wendy Puriefoy, president of the Public Education Network, an association of education advocacy groups. "Theyre places where people

see the commitment they have made through their taxes every time they walk by and see kids going in. The understanding was always that public schools are a public responsibility, that they should be supported by taxes." The trend toward private financing may also exacerbate the gap between rich and poor districts because affluent ones are often more sophisticated about fund-raising--although, as Philadelphia is showing, a high-profile project can let even a struggling urban district attract widespread interest. "Were losing our public education system in this country," said Alex Molnar, director of the Commercialism in Education Research Unit at Arizona State University. "It is being eroded, inch by inch, by an ongoing blurring of the distinction between public interest and private good. Theres a big equity problem here By definition, parental funding, private foundations and naming rights are disequalizing." Newburyport, a charming New England seaport with a

lively tourist trade, does not look like a town where the schools would be pressed for money. But looks can be deceiving: School officials say their budget is so tight that, even after imposing an array of parent-paid fees for activities and transportation, Newburyport has had to cut elementary school foreign language and middle school theater classes and assign one principal to cover two of the districts three elementary schools. Big property tax increases would be politically unpalatable. "Like many towns, only about 20 percent of our households have kids, so there are limits on what you can ask for," said Christin Walth, executive director of the Newburyport Education Foundation, organized in 2000 to raise money for the school. So the district has become more aggressive about seeking private donations. As part of that effort, the foundation in 2004 began offering a wide range of naming opportunities at the high school, an imposing brick edifice on a hill above High

Street--$300 for a name plaque on a seat in the high school auditorium, $10,000 for the principals office, $100,000 for the cafeteria or the library. It has had few takers There are only a few nameplates sprinkled around the school, on the aisle seats in the auditorium, a bench in the courtyard, the television production studio. But late last year, the Institution for Savings, a mutual savings bank, pledged $600,000 to rebuild the outdated middle school science 20 Source: http://www.doksinet laboratories. The science area will bear its name--and so will the high school gym floor. "Were just trying to take care of our little corner of the world," said Mark Welch, the bank president. "We are going to take some naming opportunities with this donation, but that had almost nothing to do with the decision. Problems get solved one city and one school at a time, and this is our community." Is the banks contribution enabling taxpayers not to shoulder a burden that should

be theirs? "We may be," Mr. Welch said "But if not doing this was the way to make the point that you, the city, should pay for this, more and more kids will fall behind." Mary Murray, the Newburyport superintendent, sounds ambivalent about the move toward private financing. "Hospitals do it, and universities do it," Ms. Murray said "But is it troubling? Yes, on one level, because I believe public education means exactly that. But the state made a 20 percent cut across the board four years ago, and aid to cities and towns was cut almost the same percentage. Meanwhile our health care, salaries and utilities costs are rising. Theres no light at the end of the tunnel, and when youre in the situation were in, you have to do whats right for the students youre serving." For businesses, schools can be an attractive target. "One standard goal corporations have in their marketing programs is making the corporation itself seem more desirable and good,

and its hard to find something more desirable and good than public schools," Mr. Molnar said "Simply associating your name in perpetuity with a school assures you an opportunity to enhance your standing in the community. Its like a brick-and-mortar billboard in perpetuity" At least a few districts, after considering all the ramifications of naming rights for donors, have rejected the idea. In Seminole County, Fla., where naming-rights guidelines were considered last year, Dede Schaffner, one of the five school board members, was an outspoken opponent. "If we get to the point where you can put your name on a school just because you have a fat wallet, thats not right," Ms. Schaffner said "Sure we could use more money, but I just wasnt ready to sell our soul, and I felt thats what we were being asked to do. I didnt know until the final vote that Id convinced most of the others that this wasnt a good idea." 21 Source: http://www.doksinet Lewin, Tamar.

"In Public Schools, the Name Game As a Donor Lure" New York Times (New York, NY). Jan 26 2006: A1+ Web 13 Oct 2011. 22 Source: http://www.doksinet A New Side of Education Funding By Rita Giordano INQUIRER STAFF WRITER • New Jersey has become the latest state to approve advertising on school buses. Could bus-side advertisements for brand-name sneaks spare little feet from having to trudge a couple of miles to school? Will promos for banks and other local businesses spell tax relief for beleaguered homeowners? New Jersey will soon begin to find out. In the last legislative session, the state became the latest to approve advertising on school buses. Now, the state Board of Education is working on regulations for districts that choose to tap into this new revenue source. The regulations are not expected to be adopted until at least February, according to state education spokesman Richard Vespucci. According to the authorizing legislation, 50 percent of revenue from the ads

must be used to offset fuel costs for student transportation. The other 50 percent can be used to support programs and services determined by local school boards. New Jersey is the first Northeastern state to permit ads on school buses. Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah also permit the ads, according to the state education department. Why not more states? Well, around the country, people have expressed concern over advertisements on school buses, including whether they present a traffic distraction. Others dont want advertising aimed at impressionable youth. Still others find any mixing of education with commerce, well, distasteful. Robert Beauchamp, president of Alpha Media, a Texas company that helps school districts put ads on buses, sought to allay those concerns. 23 Source: http://www.doksinet "Advertising has been done in schools for decades," Beauchamp said. "School-bus advertising is just a more lucrative tweak to what is already being

offered." A district with a fleet of 150 buses can make $500,000 over four years, he said, adding that several New Jersey districts had expressed interest in pursuing bus ads once the state sets its regulations. Beauchamp said districts could refuse ads. They generally limit ad size and refuse ads for products such as alcohol, tobacco, things with sexual content, as well as political or religious messages, he said. Pennsylvania does not yet allow ads on school buses, but in tough economic times, districts there also are looking at advertising to bring in revenue. That includes more naming rights and sponsorships, said David Davare, an official with the Pennsylvania School Boards Association. "We started seeing more signs of it three, four years ago," Davare said. "We started seeing it in the poor districts Now were seeing it in the some of the more wealthy districts." The Pennsbury School District in Bucks County recently entered into an agreement with School

Media Inc., a Minneapolis company that helps districts raise revenue through alternative advertising. Spokeswoman Ann Langtry said the district planned to allow ads for health, education, nutrition, and safety products and services on up to 20 percent of interior surfaces in schools, including lockers. She said the initiative could bring in $400,000 a year. The Centennial School District, also in Bucks, has an agreement with Modells for the sports retailer to sell fan gear with the logos of William Tennant High School athletic teams. School board director Mark Miller said the district expected to take in $20,000 to $30,000 this year from the sales. In South Jersey, districts arent sure how much bus ads might bring them, but some are considering the option. Marie Reynolds, a spokeswoman for the Mount Laurel School District, said her board would consider the ads as a way to help taxpayers. Wouldnt she rather keep commercialism away from children? 24 Source: http://www.doksinet

"Unfortunately, those days are gone. I would probably personally prefer to not have ads on my childs baseball field as well," she said. "If it keeps the program going and its not offensive, lets go for it." Pemberton Township Superintendent Michael Gorman can understand those who would rather steer clear of commercialism, but he said there was precedent going back decades. Pemberton has a scoreboard, now in need of replacement, that a soda company helped the district obtain, he noted. Jim Murphy, a Washington Township school board member, said bus ads could be a way to restore some courtesy busing the district had to cut back. Murphy said talking to folks had gotten him thinking of even national ads. "They said, What about sneakers? You know, Nike with the swoosh on there. Why not?" Contact staff writer Rita Giordano at 856-779-3841, rgiordano@phillynews.com, or @ritagiordano on Twitter. Giordano, Rita. "A New Side of Education Funding"

Philadelphia Inquirer. 20 Sep 2011: A2 Web 13 Oct 2011 25 Source: http://www.doksinet Bid to Sell Locker Ads Sparks Debate By Sarah Lemagie STAFF WRITER • The ads could raise nearly $100,000 per year for West St. Paul schools, but some parents object. Students in one cash-strapped Dakota County school district may return this fall to find their lockers wrapped in vinyl advertisements for school supplies. Or vegetables Or band instruments The West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan district is among a small handful in Minnesota where officials are taking a serious look at locker ads as a way to raise extra bucks in an era of financial stress for schools statewide. The school board is considering a three-year contract with School Media, a company based in Coon Rapids that cuts deals with advertisers, installs the ads and pays schools for the square footage covered. The West St Paul district could cover up to 20 percent of lockers in all eight of its schools, reaping nearly $100,000 a

year. School leaders would have veto power over ads, which would be limited to products and services that have educational, nutritional or other "positive" value in schools. But thats not enough to satisfy some families, who argue that kids--already bombarded with ads at every turn--should not be exposed to more at school. "As a parent, my first response to it is, Yuck," said Kathie Brinkman of West St. Paul, one of several parents who voiced their concerns to school board members last week. "Unless Ive missed something, the point of school is to learn, not to sell someones product for them," said Brinkmans son, Josh, a rising junior at Henry Sibley High School who said the ads would turn school halls into "giant billboards." The removable ads, similar to the vinyl decals often placed on the sides of buses, could also go on surfaces such as gyms and hall floors, but the total area covered would not exceed 20 percent of all locker space, said

School Media president Paul Miller. The school board has not signed a contract with School Media, but the board has already agreed to pursue advertising as a way to help fill a $1.4 million budget hole for 2011-12 26 Source: http://www.doksinet "Its the ugly choice between affecting the classroom or this," said board chairwoman Robin Rainford. Locker ads are rare in Minnesota; only two districts, St. Francis and Becker, contracted with School Media last year. Still, many schools already have ads on football scoreboards, contracts with beverage companies for pop machines and printed ads in programs for extracurricular activities. A few, such as Eagan High School, have started selling ad space on their websites. And Rainford pointed out that many educators end up acting as advertisers when, for example, they encourage their students to eat at fast-food restaurants on nights when proceeds are donated to local schools--a blending of roles that shed like to see end. Locker ads

are just one of the options the West St. Paul board has considered in its quest for innovative ways to pay for public education in a dour state funding climate. Some ideas have proved controversial, such as a proposal to house two schools under one roof that was discussed but ultimately tabled this spring. The district also is beginning a broad-ranging community discussion of ways to redesign schools. Catching on Slowly Nationwide, School Media has contracts with a couple of dozen districts in six states, Miller said. West St Paul is among a small handful in Minnesota that may jump on board this fall, he said. St. Francis schools had a "pretty positive" experience with the ads last year, said Tom Larson, the districts director of community education and maintenance services. "Theyre so well-designed and colorful that it really adds to the environment, to the ambiance, of our buildings," he said. The board agreed to ads on up to 15 percent of its lockers, which could

have generated about $200,000 for the district, Larson said. The district will probably end up with about $80,000, he said, adding that less space was used than expected. Much of the money will be spent on technology, he said. The board, which had a one-year contract with School Media, has yet to decide whether to extend the partnership, Larson said. The St. Francis board was adamant about restricting ads to those with appropriate content, he said. "We dont want Abercrombie Fitch We dont want Old Navy." 27 Source: http://www.doksinet School Media has catered to those concerns by limiting its partnerships to advertisers such as Dunwoody College of Technology, Schmitt Music and Cub Foods. Even so, "I can see my daughter hopping mad that shes got to have a cantaloupe on her locker," said Becky Anderson, a parent in the West St. Paul district A recent poll in the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan district--which is unlikely to approve locker ads in the near future, a

spokesman said last week--suggests that many parents are unconvinced. The online surveys 1,500 respondents were almost evenly split over whether the district should consider such ads, with 51 percent opposed. The West St. Paul school board could approve a contract with School Media on Aug. 1, said Carl Colmark, the districts business services director. Sarah Lemagie--952-882-9016 Lemagie, Sarah. "Bid to Sell Locker Ads Sparks Debate" Star Tribune 17 Jul 2011: N.1 Web 13 Oct 2011 28 Source: http://www.doksinet Cruelty Is Never Just a Game By Martin Mersereau Despite an outcry from thousands of peopleincluding everyone from PETA pal and pit bull adopter Alicia Silverstone to the president of the Los Angeles Police Protective League to convicted dogfighter Michael VickGoogle has refused to pull an app called KG Dogfighting (formerly called Dog Wars) from its Android Marketplace. The developers say the appin which players train and fight dogs against other playersis “just

a video game,” but for living, breathing animals, the consequences of glamorizing cruelty are deadly serious. At best, this game trivializes the horrendous suffering that dogs endure at the hands of dogfighters and sends the dangerous message that abusing animals is entertaining. At worst, it is a training manual for wannabe dogfighters and may pique some players’ interest enough to inspire them to move from virtual dogfighting to the real thingwhich is a felony offense in all 50 states. There are no winners in dogfighting, only victims. Dogs who are forced to fight are typically kept in tiny cages or outdoors on heavy chains 24 hours a day, and they are starved, beaten and taunted into aggression. Dogfighters frequently steal unattended cats and dogs from people’s yards to use as bait to train dogs to attack. In the pit, dogs tear each other to shreds in fights that can last for hours, until both dogs are exhausted and at least one is seriously injured or dead. The “winners”

are forced to fight other dogs again and again. The losers pay with their lives: They are often used as bait, or they are electrocuted, drowned, shot or hanged. PETA’s fieldworkers witness the devastating results of dogfighting firsthand. One pit bull they rescued, named Music, looked like a bag of bones. He was shivering, severely dehydrated and covered with scars and scabs. His ears were shredded from fights, and he had lost his mind from living on a chain his entire life. KG Dogfighting makes a game out of this horrific cruelty, yet the app’s creators claim that they are helping animals because they plan to donate some of their profits to animal rescue organizations. Ironically, animal shelters may find themselves in need of donations to care for dogfighting victims because of this cruel game. What’s more, anything that encourages people to abuse and kill living beings for “fun” also jeopardizes public safety. Dogfighters and others who abuse animals are cowards, and

studies show that animal abusers’ victims often include humans. Law enforcement officials know that raids on dogfighting operations can be especially dangerous because illegal drugs, gambling and weapons are often involved. According to news sources, KG Dogfighting’s website points out that players have a gun to use during police raids. 29 Source: http://www.doksinet America is a nation of dog lovers, and the public has made it known loud and clear that Google needs to do the right thing and pull this ill-conceived app. There is simply no excuse for promoting, making light of or otherwise trying to pass off cruelty to animals as “entertainment.” It isn’t a game, and the public isn’t buying it Mersereau, Martin. "Cruelty Is Never Just a Game" People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. 09 May 2011: np Web 13 Oct 2011 30 Source: http://www.doksinet SeaWorld: Empty the Tanks By Jennifer OConnor An orca named Taima recently died while delivering a stillborn

calf at SeaWorld Orlando. The baby was the offspring of Tilikum, the angry and frustrated killer whale who battered trainer Dawn Brancheau to death earlier this year. Wild animals are dying because of human avarice, but unlike the birds, fish and mammals who are perishing in the Gulf of Mexico, the animals at SeaWorld can easily be saved. Like BP, SeaWorld can never make up for the harm that it has done. But it can immediately stop breeding animals and fund the creation of a coastal sanctuary through which captive orcas can start their journey back home. Taimas mother, Gudrun, was torn away from the ocean in the 1970s; she gave birth to Taima in 1989. Another of Gudruns calves was born with mental and physical problems and lived just a short while. Yet another, stillborn, had to be extracted from Gudruns body using a lift and chains. Gudrun -- whom her keepers considered mentally ill (and no wonder) -- died four days later. She would never again have the chance to feel the ocean

currents or hear the calls of her lost family. For Taima, death was terrifying and painful, yet it was a release from a miserable life of deprivation. Both mother and baby -- and many other orcas and bottlenose dolphins before them -- met their end alone in a tank full of chemically treated water that must have felt like a bathtub to these animals, who are meant to explore the endless fathoms of the sea. In nature, orcas choose their own mates (they are not artificially inseminated in invasive and grotesque procedures), and the females stay together for life. Those who tout breeding programs and claim that captive animals "cannot" be released are usually the very people who profit from the animals confinement. SeaWorld and industry shills such as Jack Hanna have profited considerably from confining animals and putting them on display. Its in their interests to keep the money flowing But lets remember Keiko, a wild orca who was captured near Iceland in 1979 and sold to a

series of aquariums, where he became sick and severely depressed. After the movie "Free Willy" prompted the call for his retirement, Keiko was moved to the Oregon Coast Aquarium, rehabilitated and eventually moved to an ocean pen. He learned to hunt and catch his own food. Even though he was still being 31 Source: http://www.doksinet monitored by his rehabilitators, Keiko lived five healthy years, navigated more than 1,000 kilometers of open ocean and was living freely when he died. Transitional protected sea pens would give orcas greater freedom of movement; the ability to see, sense and communicate with their wild cousins and other ocean animals; the chance to feel the tides and waves; and the opportunity to engage in behavior that theyve long been denied. For those with legitimate concerns about captive animals ability to fend for themselves, these questions must be asked: Even if there are risks, arent we morally compelled to give these animals the chance to live

freely? Dont they deserve some measure of what theyve been deprived? SeaWorld has the means to make this happen, but look at its track record. Despite knowing about the extreme danger posed by Tilikum - including the fact that he had killed humans twice before he attacked and killed Brancheau -- SeaWorld refuses even to "Free Tilly" because hes a valuable and prodigious breeder. The public can help compel SeaWorld to do the right thing simply by refusing to buy a ticket. ABOUT THE WRITER: Jennifer OConnor is a research specialist with The PETA Foundation, 501 Front Street, Norfolk, Va. 23510; www.PETAorg Information about PETAs funding may be found at www.petaorg/about/numbersasp OConnor, Jennifer. "SeaWorld: Empty the Tanks" People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. 01 Jul 2010: np Web 13 Oct 2011 32 Source: http://www.doksinet Alas, Animal Experiments Are Still Needed BRITAIN HAS among the toughest legislation on animal experiments in the world. The

Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act of 1986 controls any experimental or scientific procedure applied to an animal which may have the effect of causing it pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm. Both the scientist and the research project need separate licences, and any subsequent changes to the project must be registered and approved before the work can continue. It is therefore dismaying that the pressure group Animal Aid should feel it necessary to call for a boycott of medical charities that support animal experiments. First, it re-opens a debate that most scientists considered closed: why we need to experiment on animals. Animal experiments have played a critical role in just about every medical breakthrough of the last century. They are vital for testing the safety of drugs and vaccines, from common painkillers to advanced anti-cancer treatment. They may not be perfect, and human trials are also vital, but without them medical advances would be seriously hampered. Cancer,

strokes, heart disease, diabetes, Parkinsons and Alz-heimers are just some of conditions for which animal experiments have benefited research. There are alternatives. Drugs can be tested on human tissue and living cells grown in the laboratory. But it will be years before they replace animals. What alarms many is the sharp rise in animal testing over a decade - which reflects the big increase in funding for medical research, public and private. The development of genetically modified animals has also improved understanding of how humans will respond to a treatment. So we are learning more from animal experiments than in the past. Genetically modified animals accounted for over half of all animal experiments in 2009, compared with just 8 per cent in 1995. More than nine out of 10 of these animals were mice and rats. Animals have been used by man for thousands of years - for food, clothing and as beasts of burden. Medical testing, provided it is done humanely and kept to a minimum, is

another benefit we should welcome, while continuing to develop alternatives. Alas, Animal Experiments Are Still Needed." The Independent 21 Jun 2011: 2. Web 13 Oct 2011 33 Source: http://www.doksinet Can the Use of Animals in Medical Research Ever Be Justified? By David Pruce Yes Mainstream medical and scientific organisations around the world agree that animals are essential in scientific research and medicines development. The use of animals in research is never undertaken lightly. Every single animal research project must be approved by Home Office Inspectors who are all doctors and vets, and by local ethical review committees. Funding organisations - including medical research charities - will only fund top quality, relevant research. No one wants to use animals in research, and no one uses them unnecessarily or uncaringly. Animal research is a last resort and is used alongside other types of research. In the last month we have seen reports of exciting research in vital

areas, including research using mice that showed how the heart may be able to repair itself. Research using rats suggested that a "memory switch" could help Alzheimers patients. A new approach to cancer vaccines has successfully treated prostate tumours in mice. It is difficult to see how these advances could have been achieved without animal research. Even so, there are still diseases without adequate treatments - for example Alzheimers, many cancers and heart failure. We make use of new technology wherever possible, but animals remain vital to advancing medicine. David Pruce is the chief executive of Understanding Animal Research No The UK carried out more than 3.6 million animal tests in 2009 yet less than 20 per cent of research is directly testing treatments for serious human diseases. Ethics aside, there are compelling scientific reasons why the practice should stop. Claims that animal testing has, or will, lead to cures for every human ailment are powerful, but there

is little scientific evidence to back them up. When scientists review the effectiveness of animal experiments over time, the results are damning. One review of 76 key animal research papers concluded that "patients and physicians 34 Source: http://www.doksinet should remain cautious about extrapolating the findings of prominent animal research to the care of human disease". It is time to move on. We are still using animal methods developed in the 1940s to test the safety of ever more sophisticated biologically targeted drugs. The differences between species at these levels make it even more difficult (and dangerous) to use animals. This was never more evident than in the monoclonal drug trial disaster in which tests on monkeys at 500 times the standard dose failed to predict the monstrous effects on the human trial volunteers. Halting animal testing does not mean halting medical progress. Switching to modern, humane research will improve the quality and humanity of our

science. Dr. Katy Taylor is senior scientific adviser to the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection Pruce, David. "Can the Use of Animals in Medical Research Ever Be Justified?." The Independent 21 Jun 2011: 8 Web 13 Oct 2011 35 Source: http://www.doksinet Why Labs Need Chimps It is imperative that chimpanzees continue to be available for research critical to the discovery of treatments for human and animal diseases. Chimpanzee research models have led to major medical advances, including the vaccines for hepatitis A and B, which have significantly reduced the frequency of infection in the United States. Additionally, chimps remain an important model in medical research, as they are the only animals suitable in the study of hepatitis C, which kills approximately 12,000 Americans every year, and are critical in testing the efficacy of monoclonal antibodies used to treat non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Furthermore, this year the first studies were conducted on laboratory

chimpanzees to test the safety of a potential vaccine against ebola. Such a vaccine could be used to protect endangered wild chimps ravaged by this disease. Research using non-human primates is highly regulated - as it should be - and their welfare is of the utmost importance to the scientists who use them, both because scientists seek to treat all species humanely and because the validity of their studies depends on providing optimal conditions for their test subjects. The writer is president of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. "Why Labs Need Chimps." Washington Post 08 Mar 2011: A14 Web 13 Oct 2011. 36 Source: http://www.doksinet Students Respond to Cash Awards Controversial Harvard Study D.C Test Scores Improve; Broad Impact Is Unclear By Bill Turque Paying District middle-schoolers as much as $100 a month for good grades, behavior and attendance led to higher reading test scores for Hispanics, boys and students with behavior problems,

according to the early results of a Harvard University study. The overall effect of the cash awards on the 3,000 students in 15 D.C middle schools was less significant, however, and the studys author acknowledged that the relatively small sample makes it difficult to draw strong conclusions about the initiative. The initial results of the study, released Thursday, are unlikely to quell the long debate about financial rewards for students. Critics deride the idea as tantamount to bribery and point to a body of research that suggests such incentives can erode childrens intrinsic motivation. The studys author, Harvard economist Roland Fryer, said there was no evidence that the money led to the waning of student motivation or interest in learning. And although the program is "no silver bullet," the results justify continued study, he said. "We have a set of promising results, and we need more," Fryer said. But Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee said Friday that she was pleased

with the results, which cover the 2008-09 academic year. She added that she was "shocked" at the gains on DC-CAS standardized tests achieved by Hispanics and other subgroups, which were the equivalent of as much as five additional months of school. Compared with the cost of other kinds of supports for at-risk children, such as smaller class sizes and Head Start, she said, the outcomes were impressive. The total District outlay for the Capital Gains program that year came to $1.2 million, including average payments of about $530 to the students who participated. "I definitely think it was a good investment for us," said Rhee, who cited the importance of finding ways to keep students engaged in their middle-school years. 37 Source: http://www.doksinet The future of the program, which is continuing at least through this school year, is uncertain. Rhee said she expects to get a "quick and dirty" assessment of this years student achievement soon. If the

second-year results are similar, she said, she will push to continue the initiative despite the systems tight budget. The Capital Gains program is part of a four-city, $6.3 million study led by Fryer to assess whether financial incentives can spur academic achievement in urban classrooms. Second-graders in Dallas received $2 for reading a book. Chicago high school freshmen were paid every five weeks for earning good grades in five core courses. Fourth- and seventh-graders in New York City earned cash payments for performance on tests. The results, first reported in Time magazine, are mixed. Students who were asked to perform tangible tasks, such as the Dallas secondgraders, showed significant test score growth. In Chicago and New York, where student payments depended solely on test scores, there was little increase. "To my surprise, incentive programs that rewarded process seemed to be more effective than those that rewarded outcomes," said Fryer, who leads the Educational

Innovation Laboratory at Harvard. The District experiment was a hybrid, with schools required to use attendance and behavior as criteria but free to select other measures such as grades, homework completion and adherence to uniform policy. Cash payments were based on a $2-per-point system, with one point awarded daily for each goal met. The average two-week take for a student was about $40. Among the schools participating are Hart, Kelly Miller, Shaw at Garnet-Patterson, Stuart-Hobson, Brightwood, Burroughs and Emery. Fryer said the District results were striking for several reasons. Girls, who usually respond more readily to educational interventions, were outperformed by boys. And although the sample group was small-just more than 500 students--Hispanics showed growth The group that achieved the biggest test score gains was students who had been suspended the previous school year (2007-08) for disciplinary reasons. As to why these student groups performed the way they did, Fryer cant

say. "What experiments are good at doing is cleanly estimating the causal impact of programs on student achievement," he said. "Experiments dont give clean reasons why." 38 Source: http://www.doksinet Overall, the awards showed only a "marginally significant" effect on standardized reading test scores. Effects on math test scores were not statistically significant. Fryers study outlined several issues with the design of the District experiment that qualify some of the results. The relatively small size of the D.C system--with just 35 schools that have middle school grades--limits the statistical reliability of the data. The New York study, by comparison, involved 63 schools. He also said the "balance" of the sample was not ideal. Seventeen schools were originally selected to receive the cash incentives, and 17 were designated to serve as an experimental control group. But two of the seventeen "incentive" schools dropped out. Neither

Fryer nor District officials could name the schools Friday or explain why they chose not to participate. The remaining schools that received cash awards were larger, more predominantly African American and less likely to be pre-K through eighth grade. Some District parents remain skeptical of Capital Gains overall value. "I was not a fan to begin with, and nothing has really convinced me that it is worth the money," said Mary Melchior, a parent activist at Langdon, a pre-K-8 school in Northeast. Melchior, the mother of second grade triplets, said she would pull them out of the school if the program is still in place when they enter middle school. "We want to inspire our kids to enjoy reading," she said, "and to love knowledge for itself." Turque, Bill. "Students Respond to Cash Awards" Washington Post (Washington, DC). 10 Apr 2010: B1 Web 31 Oct 2011 39 Source: http://www.doksinet Should Kids Be Paid for Making Good Grades? By Mark Kennedy

Chattanooga Times Free Press, Tenn. July 03--Theres a fine line between an incentive and a bribe. Recently, one of my sons was having difficulty falling to sleep in his bed at night without an adult in the next room. A person with lots of experience with kids suggested we try offering him a carrot, a little reward for fighting his fear. It worked Turns out it was just the nudge he needed for a breakthrough. It got the job done much better than shame or punishment. I thought about that experiment last week when I talked to Gregg Rader, a 21-year-old junior at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Rader, a graduate of Knoxvilles Bearden High School, recently won a national economics contest for a proposal to improve public schools by paying high-school students cash rewards. Performance pay for students is a controversial topic, but its gaining traction among some economists who believe it might be the most efficient way to jump-start American competitiveness. Last month, economists

at a Washington, D.C, symposium, sponsored by the Pearson educational publishing company, chose Raders proposal as the best from among 12 finalists in the Future Economics Insider competition. Other contestants had proposals for curbing health-care costs, ending government subsidies for ethanol and pushing high-speed rail projects, Rader said. Rader said he believes his cash-for-grades idea could attract bipartisan support in Washington. "Its a very new and cutting-edge idea," Rader said in a telephone interview. "I think there are people on the right and the left that could support this." He said a study by a Harvard University economist showed that paying kids who perform better in school is just as effective as Head Start-type programs or merit pay for teachers in boosting student outcomes. Real, inflation-adjusted spending per student for public 40 Source: http://www.doksinet education has doubled since 1970, while test scores have languished, Radar said.

Rader proposes a national experiment involving a cross-section of American high schools. One test group of students would be paid for making better grades or scoring higher on standardized tests, he said. Another test group would earn rewards for merely improving their study habits, such as reading more books, completing projects or maintaining good behavior. A third group would use a mix of these incentives. Radar says the amount of money available to each student in the test would be modest, perhaps $400 to $600 per year, but he believes the results might be substantial. Since Rader has only been out of high school for a few years, I asked him if paying for performance would have helped some of his classmates at Bearden High. "I think a lot of kids it would have helped," he said. "For the average student, it would be a good motivator. At least they might say, Im going to do my homework. Im going to go to class He says Tennessees Hope Scholarships, which pay up to

$4,000 a year in college expenses, only energize those students at the margins--those striving for the 3.0 grade point average that triggers the award. Students at the low and high ends of the grade spectrum have less incentive to improve, he said. I asked Rader, a gifted thinker at 21, if he was optimistic about Americas economic future. "Im optimistic about Americans long-term future," he said. "But I agree with those economists who say these are uncertain times, and we should remain humble about what we think we know." Smart kid. Kennedy, Mark. "Should Kids Be Paid for Making Good Grades?" Chattanooga Times & Free Press. 03 Jul 2011: np Web 31 Oct 2011. 41 Source: http://www.doksinet 42