Draft Kent City Schools Board Policy re Channel One

Bob Gragson

3602 Packers Ave., #208, Madison, WI 53704
Cell: 707-367-7319 | E-mail: bob@gragson.com

Banning Commercial Advertising and Market Research:

Kent City School Board Campaign -- 2001

I, Bob Gragson, support the enactment of the following policy for the Kent City School District:

DRAFT KENT CITY SCHOOL BOARD POLICY
BANNING COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING AND MARKET RESEARCH
IN THE KENT CITY SCHOOLS

WHEREAS, commercial involvement in the schools should not require or pressure students to observe, listen to, or read commercial advertising, and,

WHEREAS, taxpayers should not subsidize the delivery of commercial advertising to schoolchildren, and,

WHEREAS, students should not be required to subsidize their own education by being pressured to watch advertising in school, or be subjected to commercial pressures in school to purchase products, and,

WHEREAS, selling access to a captive audience of schoolchildren for commercial purposes is exploitation and a violation of the public trust, and,

WHEREAS, the Kent City School Board finds that commercial advertising and market research in the public schools of this school district constitutes a growing and significant threat to the integrity of public education.

THEREFORE,

Except as permitted in subsection (d), it shall be unlawful for any public school in this district, or any other entity or person acting on behalf of any public school in this district to:

(a) Enter into a contract that grants exclusive advertising of any product or service throughout the district to a person, business, or corporation.

(b) Enter into a contract that prohibits a school district employee from criticizing or commenting on the goods or services of the party or parties contracting with the school board.

(c) Enter into a contract or permit a school within the district to enter into a contract for products or services that requires the dissemination of advertising to pupils, or allows any person, corporation or business to gather or obtain information from students for the purposes of market research.

(1) Contracts entered into prior to the operative date of this policy may not be renewed if they are in conflict with this policy.

(d) Nothing in this policy shall affect the ability of any public school in this district, or any other entity or person acting on behalf of any public school in this district to:

(1) publish advertising in any school newspaper, other school periodical, web pages, or yearbook;
(2) distribute advertising or market research as a part of curriculum on advertising, marketing or media literacy; or,
(3) post signs indicating the public’s appreciation for financial or other support from any person or business or corporation for the educational program in any school in the district.

(e) The term "advertising" means the commercial use, by any person, company, business or corporation, of any media including, but not limited to, newspaper or other printed material or flyer or circular, radio, television or video or any other electronic technology, outdoor sign, or billboard in order to transmit a message with information:

(1) offering any good or service for sale, or
(2) for the purpose of causing or inducing any other person to purchase any good or service, or,
(3) that is directed toward increasing the general demand for any good or service.