Idaho Teacher Sells Advertising Space On Tests : NPR.

I am bothered by this on many levels. First, I go out of my way not to subject my child to the consumerism that is so rampant in our society. He watches TV and as much as possible it is TV with no commercials; I want him to understand American culture and not be picked on in school, but I also don’t want him being indoctrinated into the gimme culture that exists all around us.

Second, I don’t want poor eating choice pitched to my kid when he is in a moment of vulnerability. We have pizza periodically, but I know that without the boundaries I set, my son would eat pizza at every meal every day. He needs no encouragement. I feel that type of advertising undermines my message to my child.

Third, I am so disturbed that it has come to this for these schools. Teachers digging into their own meager supply of personal funds, begging for resources that never materialize from the district, and ultimately selling my kid’s soul in order to purchase the paper they need to print a test. It’s abhorrent.

There has to be a better way.