Not all of the educational kits and contests the union evaluated come under fire. The report, for example, praises the Westinghouse Science Talent Search, the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee, and the National Geographic Society’s National Geography Bee.
Teacher Magazine often lists in “Extra Credit’’ the kinds of corporate-sponsored materials and contests the union criticizes in Captive Kids. Readers should know that Teacher does not review all this material for its educational value. Our intent is to let teachers know of free or inexpensive classroom aids that are available from a wide variety of sources. It is our assumption that teachers who request such materials review them for accuracy, bias, and commercialism before using them with students.
Teachers wishing to order a copy of Captive Kids should write to: Consumers Union Education Services, 101 Truman Ave., Yonkers, NY 10703-1057, or call: (914) 378-2000.
