Stop marketing in schools. open this link to see all the links in the press release that follows.
Contact: Embargoed for release:
Kara Kaufman, (617) 695-2525
October 14, 2015
Josh Golin, (617) 896-9368
MEDIA RELEASE
3 million teachers to McDonald’s: We’re not lovin’ it
Adding to corporation’s woes, nation’s largest teachers union rejects McTeacher’s Nights, marketing in schools
BOSTON, MA –Today, the National Education Association (NEA) and more than 50 state and local teachers unions challenged McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook to end McTeacher’s Nights, the corporation’s most exploitative form of kid-targeted marketing.
The call, issued in a letter written and organized by Corporate Accountability International (CAI) and Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC), comes as McDonald’s struggles to climb out of seven consecutive quarters of nose-diving sales in the US and continues to lose families—its core customer base. The letter builds upon a growing movement of parents and health professionals who are demanding McDonald’s end its kid-targeted marketing, and an increasing number of institutions—most recently the Cleveland Clinic—that are severing ties with the corporation.
On McTeacher’s Nights, McDonald’s recruits teachers to “work” behind the counter and serve burgers, fries, and soda to their students and their students’ families. The corporation heavily brands the events, even going so far as to provide uniforms and branded shirts for teachers to wear behind counters. In return, McDonald’s donates only a small portion of the event’s proceeds. The events take advantage of cash-strapped schools and use teachers to sell junk food directly to their students in order to create brand loyalty.
At McDonald’s most recent shareholders’ meeting, the Chicago Teachers Union denounced the practice on behalf of teachers in the corporation’s own urban school district.
“It is wholly inappropriate for McDonald’s to exploit cash-strapped schools to market its junk food brand, while miring its workers in poverty, effectively hollowing out the tax base for our schools,” said Jesse Sharkey, vice president of the Chicago Teachers Union. “In Chicago we face potentially devastating cuts to our schools, yet one of the world’s richest corporations operating in our backyard is exploiting this situation by eroding the school food environment and our students’ health in the long-run.”
Not only are McTeacher’s Nights harmful for children’s health, they are also chronically poor fundraisers. Schools typically receive only 15 to 20 percent of the event’s proceeds, often amounting to only one to two dollars per student. According to research conducted by CCFC, of 25 schools that participated in McTeacher’s Night events, only five raised more than $1,000.
“Frankly, it’s disrespectful for a multi-billion dollar corporation such as McDonald’s to throw pennies at our schools while it uses our teachers to market its products,” said Melinda Dart, vice president of the California Federation of Teachers and president of the Jefferson Elementary Federation of Teachers. “At a time when we are working hard to help our youth adopt healthy habits, this corporation and its junk food simply have no place in our schools.”
In public statements, executives have waffled around the scope of McDonald’s marketing in schools. For instance, shortly after executives publicly denied putting Ronald McDonald in schools, McDonald’s USA President Mike Andres told investors on a December 2014 investor call that McDonald’s has to be “in the schools.” During that call, Andres also cited a presence in schools as part of the corporation’s “heritage.”
Despite executives’ statements, McDonald’s continues to market directly in schools by sponsoring McTeacher’s Nights and sending Ronald McDonald into schools under the guise of physical education and reading programming. It has also sold branded fast food in school cafeterias.
Today’s call was backed by authorities in the field of education, including Diane Ravitch, Ph.D., Research Professor of Education at New York University; Nancy Carlsson-Paige, Professor Emerita at the Graduate School of Education at Lesley University; and Kevin G. Welner, Professor and Director, National Education Policy Center, University of Colorado Boulder.
Michelle Obama and the USDA have announced new proposals to stop the practice of promoting junk food in schools. The American Academy of Pediatrics and four federal agencies have also recommended restricting junk food marketing to kids.
Since 2013, more than 360 McTeacher’s Night events have been documented in more than 30 states.
###
Institutions calling on McDonald’s to end McTeacher’s Night events include:
● National Education Association
● National Education Association Healthy Futures
● National Education Association state affiliates
○ California
○ Florida
○ Vermont
● National Education Association local affiliates
○ Los Angeles
○ Milwaukee
● American Federation of Teachers state affiliates
○ California
○ Georgia
○ Michigan
○ Missouri
○ Ohio
○ Oklahoma
○ Pennsylvania
○ Utah
○ Vermont
○ West Virginia
● American Federation of Teachers local affiliates
○ Albuquerque
○ Atlanta
○ Birmingham
○ Boston
○ Chicago
○ Houston
○ Los Angeles
○ Savannah
Additional quotes:
Melissa Cropper, President of the Ohio Federation of Teachers
“It’s shameful that McDonald’s is using the tragic underfunding of our public schools as a marketing opportunity. Teachers should never have to sacrifice their students’ health in order to earn a few extra resources for their classrooms. Through McTeacher’s Nights, McDonald’s is exploiting cash-strapped schools to hawk a junk food brand that is making children sick.”
Andy Ford, President of the Florida Education Association
“Teachers should never have to choose between funding their classrooms and teaching their students to grow into healthy adults. We are proud to stand with our teachers in promoting our students’ health, not the profits of a multi-billion dollar corporation.”
Eric C. Heins, President of the California Teachers Association
“As educators we care deeply about the well-being and safety of our students. The science on this issue is clear: junk food is not only bad for children’s health, but is one of the leading causes of diseases like obesity and Type 2 diabetes. That is why we urge McDonald’s to stop targeting our children.”
Richard Stutman, President of the Boston Teachers Union
“Though McDonald’s claims McTeacher’s Nights are about fundraising, the truth is they’re about marketing. While McDonald’s reaps the PR benefits, teachers are forced to compromise their values and students are tricked into associating McDonald’s food with healthy eating practices—something that couldn’t be further from the truth.”
Mark Noltner, Teacher and parent
“When my daughter came home from school and told me the teachers were wearing McDonald’s shirts to promote an upcoming McTeacher’s Night, I was outraged. It’s hard enough helping my daughter navigate the minefield of unhealthy marketing; the last thing she needs is her teachers hawking junk food. And as a teacher myself, it infuriates me that McDonald’s would manipulate the trust that teachers develop with their students.”
Josh Golin, Executive Director, Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood
“Of all McDonald’s underhanded tactics to promote its brand to children, using teachers to lure elementary school students is the most unconscionable. Children are uniquely vulnerable to marketing, but when the pitchman for a product is their own teacher, they don’t stand a chance.”
Sriram Madhusoodanan, Director, Value [the] Meal campaign at Corporate Accountability International
“McTeacher’s Nights exploit budget shortfalls, co-opt and manipulate teachers and prey on children. Such a tactic lands McDonald’s squarely in the Hall of Shame, right next to its mentor, Big Tobacco. At a time when the public health community is decrying marketing in schools, this corporation shows it will stop at nothing to target our kids.”
This kind of scheme is not limited to McDonalds.
But ultimately, it comes down to this:
PARENTS, DO YOUR JOB! YOU are the decision maker in the house and the child is not. When PARENTS do their job and tell the children “no,” whether or not a teacher would encourage the child does not matter.
Until my children are old enough to think through decision making processes, I, as a parent, am responsible. Believe me, it does work!
The issue isn’t so much the kids putting pressure on the parents. The issue is the budget crisis puts pressure on schools and teachers to participate in this dog and pony show and, in turn, parents are pressured to show up and “support the school” . Parents tend to feel a lot less guilt over telling Little Johnny no to a Happy Meal than they do telling their kids’ school no to a fundraising night.
Good for you, Rudy! You are teaching your children.
Better yet, why don’t the parents donate directly to the school PTA?
I know some can’t, but many who can choose not to donate.
Dear McDonald’s:
No.
Your Foe,
Mark
As a parent, I sure do appreciate the teachers who have spoken up to stop McDonald’s from using schools to market to children. We need teachers to help students break the fast food habit instead of letting children think they endorse it. Public health experts have worked for decades to counter McDonald’s marketing lies with the honest truth, and now that arc is finally bending towards justice.
Were there any teachers who actually went along with this?
I’m sure there were. But remember, we used to have Coke (or Pepsi) machines in our schools too, until someone stopped to think and say “Hey-y-y-y…”
Must have been…
“Since 2013, more than 360 McTeacher’s Night events have been documented in more than 30 states.”
“Frankly, it’s disrespectful for a multi-billion dollar corporation such as McDonald’s to throw pennies at our schools while it uses our teachers to market its products,” said Melinda Dart, vice president of the California Federation of Teachers and president of the Jefferson Elementary Federation of Teachers.
It’s not just McDonalds that is producing stuff that is toxic to our kids and using teachers to market it’s products — allegedly in the service of teaching and education.
Hardly.
This is precisely the plan set out by Bill Gates back in 2009:
“When the tests are aligned to the common standards, the curriculum will line up as well—and that will unleash powerful market forces in the service of better teaching. For the first time, there will be a large base of customers eager to buy products…”
Who are the teachers’ union presidents who are saying “it’s disrespectful for multi-billionaires like Bill Gates and Laurene Powell Jobs to throw pennies at our schools while they use our teachers to market their products”?
McSilicon Valley nights at McDonald’s?
For publications documenting the creep of commercialism into schools, especially since 2002, go to nepc.colorado.edu/ceru-home
As a former principal, it was usually the PTA parents who demanded we do fundraisers so that every grade level could go on a field trip on a bus that would cost $1,000.00 to just get them somewhere in the same town. Chuckie Cheese sent out their mascot to advertise and almost got trampled with kids coming at him/her. I don’t know why we’re picking on McDonald’s. You’ll have to toss in Chuckie Cheese, roller skating rinks, etc. and even Barnes and Noble. When I insisted that every event have an academic component for the kids, it didn’t matter.
I once worked for a truly foul L.A. principal who heavy handedly favored education reform, thought GATE 8thgraders making iMovies about nothing meaningful on iPads was “transformative”, and did his best to force teachers to promote and attend McDonalds and other corporate fundraisers. He called them educational events even though there was no learning ever involved. The field trips paid for with fundraising and misappropriation were to corporate sales events. Your comment reminded me of him. He used to grab the kids’ lunch money from their hands, if they had it out, as they passed by him in line. That kind of guy.
While I sometimes feel like I’m working at McDonalds, I had no idea this was going on. I would never ever stand behind a counter at McDonalds, or any other fast food restaurant and sell their crappy food to my kids. I would feel like I was being dishonest with my kids. I never eat there, and I would never ask my kids to either. Yuck!
McDonalds and every one else selling and promoting food (poor nutrition) is really going after the poor segment of the school population. It is well known that childhood obesity is a problem in the poor segments of our community and this practice promotes it. This is exactly opposite of what Michelle Obama is attempting to introduce better quality of food in the schools.
McDonalds and others similar to this must be ashamed. I see that the unions are solidly against this practice. I cannot show my support by boycotting McDonalds, because I do not go to any fast food operation. I can only provide moral support.
Let us all support a Boycott McDonalds scheme.
Great! But do you want to supersize that boycott?
I always agree with your blog, Ms. Ravitch. I share with my friends and use them as discussion starters with my colleagues, but this time, I have to speak up in disagreement. In my school, once a month we have Papa John’s Pizza night and Zaxsby’s night. Luckily, they don’t ask teachers to serve. However, these restaurants give ten percent or so of their nightly profit to the school. We encourage parents to take the whole family, and are grateful for every penny. You’re barking up the wrong tree with this McDonald’s thing. If you’re worried about health, schools can encourage parents can take their kids to McDonalds only on teacher night. Ultimately, branding isn’t creating little McEaters; tired parents are creating them. They can say no to their kids. I did, and we ate in a restaurant once a month, as a special treat. I even carried a cooler with sandwiches for long trips because I didn’t want my children to eat fast food, but McDonalds and their advertising were not even considered in my decision. Did my kids want fast food? Yep. Did they eat their kale chips and chicken breast? You bet! Lastly, in my opinion, you need to leave the McDs alone and belly up to the Legislative Budget Bar, so teachers won’t have to serve burgers for money for field trips.
Hey, Target donates parts of its proceeds to education as well; but it doesn’t say that teachers need to work the registers.
I am employed in a public school in Michigan. Fundraisers do consist of restaurant proceeds (Buffalo Wings is big one here) and Henry Ford Museum “free days”, and pizza places, and Target, and Starbucks, and golf days, etc. “All” for the schools. I choose to not serve nor eat nor buy at these places. I go to the Detroit Soup Kitchen, and serve there. Feels like my hands are not tied there, my hands feel more free.
When it is the corporations putting executives and board members forced into classrooms to meet quarterly earnings projections, then I’ll give Ronald McDollars a break.
That was well stated. Maybe it’s because I’ve not yet cooked dinner tonight, but Papa Johns (and ChikFilA?) and Zaxbys nights sound like great fun and school community bonding. Good idea by the school. Good idea for the school. But McDonalds night isn’t an idea by and for the school community. Chew on This (a good book to read): being discussed is an advertising idea by and for the fast food, the drive thru fast food, the super sized, drive thru fast food chain being marketed to the school administration and teachers for marketing on children. It is the the choice of the community whether or not to be the target of a marketing campaign — that is, unless people band together.
…the the = not the choice of the community. Sorry.
I agree with Colleen. Unfortunately, many families are willing to attend a spirit night, but they will not donate money to the school/PTA.
Our schools have done these for years. They are sponsored by the PTA. I hate to admit it, but they are a lot of fun. The kids adore seeing their teachers and principal behind the counter and having snacks with their friends from school. Many of the McDonalds workers are either former students or parents, and they get a kick out of bossing the teachers around.
As far as fundraisers go – the PTA may not make a lot, but it’s not a lot of work either. Families either show up or don’t, and at the end of the night a check is made. No door to door selling, no huge amount of work to put on a bake sale or carnival or whatever. If there is pressure put on families to attend, that is all on the school. McDonalds doesn’t do any advertising or require a minimum amount of sales. Plus, this is one fundraiser our poor families – 60% on free lunch – can take part in. I feel much better about this than sending them home with stuff to sell that neither their families nor their neighbors can afford. But they can buy a couple of $1 items, hang out with classmates’ families, and feel like they are helping the school
I’m not a huge fan of McDonalds, fast food, or big corporations, but as far as the many fights needed to help our schools, this is not one I am willing to put effort into. Much more worried about the advertising for products that is actually IN the schools. Oh, and the power of the testing and textbook companies.
McHedge Fund night? Campbell Brown night at Mickey D’s? Eli Broad breakfast at the golden arches? Bill Gates wearing Ronald McDonald shoes, hair, nose and costume?
Fordham’s Pitrelli and Aldis, dressed as Big Mac’s? DeVos disguished as a box of fries. Those events could get some media attention for education reform.
And I was always careful to make sure I did not influence my students politically and religiously. So glad I missed out on the Big Mac thing. I must admit though that Little League’s Shakey’s night kept me from having Shakey’s pizza forever.
I’ve never heard of this, but the worst thing, to me, is making teachers don McDonald’s garb and hawk fast food to their students. Gosh. It boggles the mind.
Perhaps they could, in line with Success Academy’s “golden plunger” have teachers don janitorial garb and clean toilets. Wouldn’t that be fun for the teachers. Maybe they could have port-o-san night and have the teachers clean those?
Ridiculousness, all of it, and made to treat the teachers poorly. Lets face it, all of us have eaten at McDonald’s over the years. Frankly, since I stopped eating gluten I haven’t stepped foot in one, but their food quality, or lack thereof, isn’t the worst of this story. “They” always seem to find a way to exploit the urban poor, and try to make teachers look like buffoons. Not saying there is anything wrong with working at McDonald’s, mind you, but that is the level of respect given to teachers — anyone can flip a burger/serve fast food — anyone can teach. Shame on them.
I’m sorry, but don’t blame McDonald’s for decisions made by others! As far as teachers looking like buffoons in front of their students goes, have you ever watched teacher talent nights? It is the best night of the year for my granddaughters, seeing how these “task masters” can let go from time to time!
Apart from that, it seems a number of schools actually enjoy these events!
And if you as a parent don’t like these events, don’t go. If you don’t like these events as a teacher, don’t participate.
Being forced to shovel greasy fries in polyester clown suits because lawmakers cut school funding is a false analogy to voluntary teacher talent shows. Besides, our teachers were pretty talented and had one outstanding rock band.
Schellekens, I don’t recognize you. I don’t want to insult you by asking are you Michelle Rhee in disguise, but here I go again. Teachers forced, or, er, coerced (???) into wearing McD’s “uniforms” and selling fast food to students for a few dollars in donations from McDonalds is, to me, appalling. There is a big difference between a talent show and begrudgingly working the counter at McDonalds. Huge. Large. Gigantic. I would imagine if this was a fundraising task at Success Acedemy, Eva would have charter buses to drive the teachers, parents and students to mandatorily participate. What a jokester that Eva is, but I’m sure you know that already.
I’m neither a teacher nor a student. I used to be a student’s parent. As a member of my neighborhood, and surrounding neighborhoods, I sometimes like to take a stance against the education reform that is syphoning my tax dollars into privately managed for-profit charters, while leaving the most at risk students behind, and turning districts where schools are shuttered into slums. I am not a teacher basher, and I’d never suggest they balance balls on their noses like seals for a penny while Eva Moskowitz and her ilk not only steals from taxpayers, but steals space from public schools where she co-locates and cries for more and more while getting BILLIONS in donations from her taxpaying friends. Do me a favor Michelle – bleed elsewhere for McDonalds fund raisers.
I’m so happy your granddaughters enjoy talent nights and such–my daughter did too, especially grandparents day where she and her classmates sang “Hello, Grandpa, well hello, Grandma” to the tune of Hello Dolly. Both of her grandparents were dead by 2000; imagine how she as an adult misses them and cherishes those times. We also loved the fundraising roller skating parties in the gym, the craft fairs, bake sales, and the like, and totally enjoyed the spring concert where the kids would sing along to karaoke tracks. i would GLEEFULLY give what I could to my daughter’s public school; I would hate to see her teachers forced to play the fool for McDonalds crumbs. If that is lost on you, so sad, too bad.
Poof, now be gone.
again, there ARE teachers, according to other posts in this thread who enjoy those activities. Who do not feel like they are selling their profession and dignity.
So why would other’s on this list make them feel like they have sold themselves?
That would be Eva’s Tax AVOIDING friends. I must correct my post.
Bravo for you, Michelle – next time your grandchildren’s school is looking for volunteers to hawk greasy hamburgers, volunteer dear. Volunteer. Poof.
AND, the title is “3 million teachers to McDonald’s: We’re not lovin’ it” – so clearly, Michelle or is it Rudy (?), teachers are opposed.
“Schellekens
October 14, 2015 at 9:07 pm
again, there ARE teachers, according to other posts in this thread who enjoy those activities. Who do not feel like they are selling their profession and dignity.
So why would other’s on this list make them feel like they have sold themselves?”
Way to spin it. You write just like a reformer in backwards speak, up is down, night is day, dark is light.
Reading does not seem to be an art available to all.
You neglect the fact that a number of comments were not understanding the reason for the article.
What amazes me is that you now refer to a teachers union who spoke out against this – but on this same site that same union was castigated for supporting Clinton.
No spin involved. Facts.
Will gladly quote some for you?
“I always agree with your blog, Ms. Ravitch. I share with my friends and use them as discussion starters with my colleagues, but this time, I have to speak up in disagreement. In my school, once a month we have Papa John’s Pizza night and Zaxsby’s night. Luckily, they don’t ask teachers to serve. However, […]”
—
What???
Shelly, you quote 1 reply here. I did not refer to a teachers union, I quoted the headline “3 million teachers” – I also wrote nothing about Clinton. I don’t think I’ve ever written anything here, perhaps anywhere (??) about Clinton, but feel free to go looking for that to “prove me wrong.” Move along Michelle, move along. Find someone else to poke at, cuz I don’t want to play anymore. Perhaps you are T.E. come back from the banned, I don’t know. Move along tho, do. You can Rhee-speak and spin and pull what you call “fact” out of the air. Poof. Puff of smoke.
McMoskowitz McNugget Night, McFlurries and Melinda Night. The reformy PR team is asleep at the wheel to miss these golden arch opportunities.
Isn’t the bottom line that if schools were fully funded, they would have to do this nonsense? Maybe Walmart can throw another “foods for families” drive, and have teachers come in to collect canned goods so Walmart can give holiday food baskets to its underpaid employees to feed their families. Win-win?
Exactly! Schools shouldn’t have to bend over backwards to get money for basic things like supplies, books, and field trips.
Donor’s Choice is another one. Teachers begging strangers on the internet for money so they can do their jobs.
Donors Choose received a Gates grant. At least one of the organization’s executives is a former TFA state chair, according to the publication, “Miamian”. In the interview, the executive suggests she is growing as a result of the organization’s risk environment. Really.
I HATE Donors Choose!
In a published interview with one of their executives, a favorite funding project, which reflected a “teacher going above and beyond”, was identified as navy blazers and red bow ties for third graders in a high poverty school. The executive, a former TFA, Harvard Kennedy School of Government graduate, reportedly said, the third graders marched down the hall to read with a person from their community, wearing “his own suit”.
The reality is our schools are underfunded, in part because compared to other western countries all of us (not just the 1%) enjoy a rather low (effective) tax rate.
Since the reality is schools are underfunded, the parents should step up and contribute. If they can afford one or more of the following:
trips, over priced licensed clothing for their children, electronic gadgets, have a pet, get manicures etc., they should be willing to donate to their school and they don’t. They have some disposal $ for their fun material items but when it comes to giving to their school they give very little to nothing.
So when the individual no longer actively supports public education, don’t be surprised when our legislatures don’t make it a priority. If they tried to raise taxes to where they need to be, there would be another revolution.
If we want corporations to kick in more, then we need to be willing to pay more for the goods and services they provide,
I spent time in a wonderful European country, people pay a lot of taxes to keep their society strong. (They also live in much smaller houses and own less stuff).
And do not have expensive school sport programs, do not feed all children, do not provide free books for high school students, do make parents pay for school trips, school needs, do not have 101 aides, are not forced to pay for full-time nurses for students, are not conned in to buying more and more useless technology.
They actually spend all day teaching the kids, rather than being forced from time wasting meeting to time wasting meeting.
(1) The increase in the ratio of corporate CEO pay to worker pay, during the past decade, staggers the imagination. (2) Six Walmart heirs have income equal to the combined wealth of 40,000,000 Americans.
If corporations stopped shifting the costs of business to middle class taxpayers, by scheming to avoid taxes, the nation could pay for the infrastructure that fuels business growth and profits. Business may try to get consumers to pay more to cover an increase in corporate taxes, but, that decision reflects further exploitation of American workers, that began, seriously, in the Reagan presidency, not necessity.
If the unions would quit demanding pay increases, prices would not go up, either… Chickens and egss
Actually, Shelly, many studies of the number of hours teachers work show that U.S. teachers are in front of students for FAR longer each day than in other developed countries. It’s not even close. SO, teachers are NOT in “useless meetings,” at least while kids are in the building. We’re required to be to a lot of meetings, unpaid, when kids aren’t in the building.
In my state, we only have classroom sets of books, which often cannot be checked out to students.
We have so few nurses that I have met the nurse ONCE in my 15 years of teaching. She is in charge of 10 secondary schools.
And what school has “101 aides????” In my school, which has nearly 1,000 students, we have 6 special education aides who go with various kids to mainstream classes. And only one of those aides is full time.
You need to get out of your self-imposed school cocoon more often. Even if your local schools have what you are discussing, the vast majority of us don’t work in the palatial conditions you describe. I sort of doubt your schools do, either.
Why is it that you judge everything by your little corner of the country? My oldest son works for CPS, and, as you may have heard in the news, they are looking to lay off 5,000 (FIVE THOUSAND) aides. Count the students, count the aides, and you can do the math (I guess).
In my state, thanks to a lawsuit, school districts have to pay for a 1 on 1 nurse, Our district has three of those. That, and by law, we have 1 nurse per 1000 students. That means that some nurses may have to divide their time in two or more buildings, but that our high schools may end up with more than one nurse. Something tells me that those laws are there for you, too.
I have connections with a number of districts both in and out of my home state, I am very well aware of what happens in districts other than where I work. So, you can be patronizing and condescending all you want (Democrat, are you?? You remind me of our current President – “I will do what I decide is good for the country…”).
If middle class workers receive increased compensation for increased productivity (which has not occurred for the past 30 years), history shows they spend most of the increase on goods and services, which creates jobs through the economic multiplier effect.
Despite Gates and Buffett’s efforts to give their fortunes away, they are unable to vacate the top two positions on the richest men lists. Their inability to fulfill their stated goal, provides evidence of the problem of concentrated wealth.
Chick Fil A has done a pretty good job of infiltrating public schools too. We certainly are all aware of their corporate attitude towards a certain segment of the population.
Our household is somewhat selective as to the purchases we make based upon certain corporate attitudes. We don’t do Chick Fil A, Hobby Lobby, and a number of Indiana-based businesses that supported Mitch Daniels, Tony Bennett, and Mike Pence.
These include Pop Weaver Pop Corn and Red Gold Tomato products.
Money talk is the only language that these corporate-types understand and I’ve gone as far as writing corporate offices and telling them why I don’t buy their products. Maybe it works…look at the corporations that have separated themselves from ALEC.
Thanks for the info. about Red Gold. In addition to the companies you listed, I avoid Home Depot, Menards (the Center for Media and Democracy published information about them) ,
Pappa Johns and Whole Foods.
Also avoid Overstock.com. They poured a lot of money toward the pro-voucher camp in Utah’s 2006 initiative, and now the CEO is running for governor, calling for cuts to education funding (Utah already spends less than any state in the country).
And yet, New York spends the MOST per student ($ 19,336.00 in 2011-2012)… So, according to this reasoning, New York students should be a lot better off than the students in Utah ($ 6,442.00 in the same time frame).
Or could it be that the payroll part for New York schools is so much bigger? And yes, by George, it is! The average salary in New York was $ 26,000 more than in Utah! Even $ 6,000 more than California, and $ 21,000 more than Hawaii! New York Salaries are $ 19,000 above the national average.
New York salaries have risen 8% since 2000, the 7th highest. The mountain states and D.C. beat that percentage.
And the source for this wealth of knowledge?? SOURCE: National Education Association, Estimates of School Statistics, 1969-70 through 2012-13. (This table was prepared April 2013.)
Rudy, try living in NYC on a teacher’s salary
I was not the one who brought up spending per student as a measuring tool for how good/bad the quality of education is! To equate amount spent per student (http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2015/01/29/how-states-are-spending-money-in-education) is no indicator (per se) about the quality or lack thereof of the level of education received by students. The per student spent include payroll (Including benefits such as health insurance etc.).
If the amount of money spent per student is an indication of the level of education, New York should be at the top of graduation %.
Location does play a role in the expenditures per pupil, of course it does. Living in the Midwest is cheaper than either coast (Excluding Chicago – But even Illinois teacher salaries are $ 16,000 lower).
Comparing where I live with living in Brooklyn:
Groceries – 35% more
Housing – 196% more
Utilities – -47% more
Transportation – 11% more
Health Care – 13% more
Comparing Chicago with Brooklyn:
Groceries – 24% more
Housing – 115% more
Utilities – 25% more
Transportation – 9% less
Health Care – 13% more
But comparing Brooklyn with Honolulu (Where the average teacher salary is $ 21,000 LESS, according to SOURCE: National Education Association, Estimates of School Statistics, 1969-70 through 2012-13. (This table was prepared April 2013.)
Groceries 21% more
Housing 9% less
Utilities 68% more
Transportation 10% more
Health Care 1% less
The cost per student in Hawaii is about $ 12,000 – and yet, their cost of living is higher than New York.
i used money.cnn.com for the cost of living comparisons…
But Rudy, whatever your comparison, it is near impossible to live in NYC on a teacher’s salary. Unless you sleep in the streets.
It’s worth pointing out Campbell Brown, who is a worthless pawn for the billionaires looking to privatize and profit from ed reform and with her staunchly right-wingnut views, I’m not surprised. This human being is the lowest form of scum on this planet for parading parents and kids for a mean-spirited teacher witch hunt. This person knows nothing about the public, let alone public education. In addition, what does it say to everyone else that this person attends a business council meeting at a former ADK Great Camp that was built by yestercentury’s robber barons who were dependent upon slave labor to prop them up, only to fill it up with today’s robber barons looking to turn teaching into slave labor as well? It’s “about the children”? What a crock of BS.
Properly funding and managing school resources would end the need for educators to basically prostitute themselves for educational dollars on their off time. Sorry I’m being harsh, but the analogy is there.