Opinion
Education Funding Opinion

Putting Brands to Work for Public Schools

By Mickey Freeman — November 06, 2012 4 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Public education budgets have always been tight, but today we find ourselves in uncharted territory. Looking back to 2008, when the country slipped into the Great Recession, no aspect of the economy has escaped unscathed. One of the hardest-hit areas has been education, since deep losses in the housing sector sent shock waves that decimated state and local budgets and, consequently, school budgets as well. In many places, schools’ rainy-day funds have run dry.

Consider that between 2008 and 2011, nearly 300,000 U.S. education jobs were lost. Put another way, education job cuts made up 54 percent of all job losses in local government. These job reductions have directly affected core curriculum, school arts programs, physical education, special education, and support functions. The tough choices continue. Across the country, schools are eliminating educational mainstays including foreign-language and sports programs and letting go of school librarians. The impact of these cuts will be felt for generations.

This is the new reality for U.S. public education, and we find ourselves at a moment when new ideas are needed.

And, so, some districts are considering corporate partnerships to generate much-needed revenue. Admittedly, the concept is distressing to some, who fear the impact of commercialism on students and their critical thinking. Others dismiss the idea as an ads-in-schools ploy that brings in paltry sums. But new models are emerging that can generate significant revenue for education. Responsible national brands are supporting education not only to do the right thing, but also to invest in the next-generation workforce and long-term U.S. economic security.

The notion of brands in schools began decades ago. In fact, some corporations have had a hand in schools for so long that they have become part of the educational fabric. Scholastic, for instance, is centered on reading and augments literacy initiatives through school-based fundraisers that provide a revenue share back to participating schools. Others, such as Sally Foster, offer items such as gift wrap, magazines, and edibles, for fundraising efforts in which schools receive a modest revenue share. Make no mistake, these are for-profit companies that partner with schools while seeking to drive revenue, improve margins, and create shareholder value, all the while leveraging parents as an extension of their sales teams and students as their “feet on the street.”

It’s time for a new model.

It’s time to recognize the reality of our long-term education funding crisis and welcome credible Fortune 500 companies into public schools."

Today, leading corporations have an unprecedented opportunity to shape the future of their workforces and enhance the economic security of the United States through marketing sponsorships in public school districts. The confluence of market conditions and corporate community-investment programs, along with inspired marketing initiatives, has given rise to more-sophisticated programs that allow companies to invest in areas that matter to both corporate survival and the nation’s success.

Companies are directing their attention and dollars to high-impact areas, including STEM (or science, technology, engineering, and math), technology literacy, arts, health and wellness, sports, dropout prevention, and workforce readiness. For many years, these programmatic areas have depended on individual and corporate philanthropy. By stepping up, marketers inherently understand that they can “do well by doing good.”

Picture high-tech computer labs sponsored by a leading computer manufacturer, music education sponsored by a Silicon Valley brand, and healthy school lunch choices funded by a natural-foods company.

This new model provides companies an opportunity to directly invest in schools and support their current customers and future employees while improving brand perception and building affinity with students—their next generation of customers. For districts, it introduces new, sustainable funding sources without sacrificing district control over which brands can participate and how dollars are reinvested in educational programs.

My company, Education Funding Partners, facilitates the relationship between brands and school districts, so I obviously have a stake in and believe in this concept. My company was founded in 2010 to link corporate social responsibility and marketing objectives with educational needs.

It’s a critical period in American education—and a strategic, well-orchestrated, and broad approach is required to support public education at its time of greatest need. Allowing carefully chosen brands in public schools can help ensure a better future for our students and sustain our economy in the years to come.

It’s time to recognize the reality of our long-term education funding crisis and welcome credible Fortune 500 companies into public schools to create meaningful, enduring, and lasting positive change in schools.

A version of this article appeared in the November 07, 2012 edition of Education Week as Putting Brands to Work for Public Schools

Events

Budget & Finance Webinar Leverage New Funding Sources with Data-Informed Practices
Address the whole child using data-informed practices, gain valuable insights, and learn strategies that can benefit your district.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Classroom Technology Webinar
ChatGPT & Education: 8 Ways AI Improves Student Outcomes
Revolutionize student success! Don't miss our expert-led webinar demonstrating practical ways AI tools will elevate learning experiences.
Content provided by Inzata
Classroom Technology K-12 Essentials Forum Tech Is Everywhere. But Is It Making Schools Better?
Join us for a lively discussion about the ways that technology is being used to improve schools and how it is falling short.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Funding Which Districts Are Most at Risk If America Breaches the Debt Ceiling?
Thousands of districts depend on the federal government for more than 10 percent of their revenue.
A man standing on the edge of a one dollar bill that is folded downward to look like a funding cliff.
iStock/Getty Images Plus
Education Funding 'So Catastrophic': How a Debt Ceiling Breach Would Hurt Schools
If federal funding stops flowing to schools before July 1, schools' ability to pay billions of dollars in expenses would be at risk.
8 min read
Photo of piggy bank submerged in water.
E+ / Getty
Education Funding How Much Do School Support Staff Make in Each State? (Spoiler: It's Not a Living Wage)
In some states, education support personnel make below $30,000, new data show.
3 min read
Brian Hess, head custodian at the Washburn Elementary School in Auburn, Maine, strips the cafeteria floors in preparation for waxing on Aug. 17, 2021.
Brian Hess, head custodian at Washburn Elementary School in Auburn, Maine, strips the cafeteria floors in preparation for waxing on Aug. 17, 2021.
Andree Kehn/Sun Journal via AP
Education Funding Schools Could Lose Funding as Lawmakers Spar Over the National Debt Ceiling
House Republicans are proposing federal spending cuts, including to K-12 programs, in exchange for raising the nation's debt ceiling.
4 min read
Illustration of two groups of professionals fighting in a tug of war with a dollar.
iStock/Getty