School Naming Rights On The Market in Tacoma?
According to the TNT, a draft policy currently under consideration by the Tacoma School Board would allow for advertising in schools, the sponsorship of events, and the naming of facilities.
The problem to be solved, of course, is money. Advertisers are seen as a potential way to fill the funding gap in our school system. The article quotes several people that suggest they’d hold the standards for advertising and sponsorship in schools to a very high level. There are no deals currently on the table, but this policy would enable future deals to be considered by the school board. Given the opportunity and enough money, how well do subjective standards hold true? We wonder …
Link to The News Tribune
Filed under: On the Market
46 comments
T Thorax O'Tool February 16, 2009
NO.
I’d rather my kids go to Adolph Hitler Jr High than Gieco Middle school or Microsoft High.
NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!
Naming private institutions (stadiums, etc) after companies is fine. After all, it’s private enterprise. Naming public institutions after companies is a whole ‘nother ball game. Corporations have no place within the school system.
And if this passes, I’m going to sue company X, demanding royalties for putting their name on my portion of the public institution.
Y You're Welcome February 16, 2009
Good! I’m taxed to gills for kids I don’t have and a failing education system. Let the money come from somewhere else.
Tacoma: highest tax per kid and highest drop-out rate. Bellevue: lowest tax per kid and highest GPA and graduation rate. Hmmm?
M Mofo from the Hood February 16, 2009
Special interest groups already diffuse their propaganda through the education system. Since the founding of this nation there has been a radical shift in the cultural worldview taught in public schools and private universities.
If school teachers and students apply themselves accordingly then through the development of the skills of analytical and evaluative thinking, student’s will learn how to cope intelligently with special interest groups and the mass media.
C Christine February 16, 2009
I would like to offer naming rights on my house. Highest bidder wins (with a minimum bid of course). I will let the winning bidder put a very large sign on my roof. Winning bidder is responsible for all permit and legal fees, construction and maintenence costs, and all designs must be approved by homeowner.
It’s not much different that allowing a cellular company to place a tower in your yard! Why not? Sensibilities be damned…capitalism rules and anything goes.
I’m kidding, though it does make one think.
T Trevor February 16, 2009
Only in Tacoma would such a despicable act not be immediately laughed off the table. This is moronic, the public schools in this city are terrible enough, the last thing our students need is to have civics replaced with an hour of corporate brainwashing.
This is so foolishly American I feel likes it’s going to give me a nosebleed.
M michael g. February 16, 2009
@2: Apples and oranges. Bellevue is much richer per capita than Tacoma, so more money can be raised by taxing a smaller proportion of wealth.
We should tax ourselves enough to have good public schools. Naming rights could result in direct or indirect corporate influence on curricula. That obviously wouldn’t be good for our democracy, which is supposed to teach citizens that they, through their representatives, set the rules in which corporations operate, not the other way around. We’re already losing on that score, but naming rights in public schools would just make things worse.
G Guy Fawkes February 16, 2009
“If school teachers and students apply themselves accordingly then through the development of the skills of analytical and evaluative thinking, student’s will learn how to cope intelligently with special interest groups and the mass media.“
No, Mofo. That’s how thing might work in your hood, but not here in the real world.
The folks involved, meaning whatever corporate/government/whoever organization(s) do not want an informed public capable of making intelligent, rational decisions. That would undermine their power and capital bases.
Independent thought is the greatest of threats to their hegemony.
That is why American schools are so shoddy, and frequently lacking… it is by design.
Children go in, sheeple consumers who buy because the TV tells them to and vote party lines because they think they have to.
D David Koch February 16, 2009
@2: “Tacoma: highest tax per kid and highest drop-out rate. Bellevue: lowest tax per kid and highest GPA and graduation rate. Hmmm?” – Could I get links for the statistics you were referencing? I’d like to read more about it.
@7: I agree with the importance or keeping corporate influence out of school decision making and having financial power over any institution gives them influence over decision making.
I’d be open to paying more in taxes if needed since Education is top priority. Investing in schools is an investment in the surrounding area, including the property I own and pay taxes on.
We can reject this idea, become involved and find real solutions… or we can give businesses naming rights to our schools and and still have the same problems in addition to now being tied up in court as people fight to keep public institutions controlled by the public.
R RR Anderson February 16, 2009
Hustler Hollywood High School
Russell Investment Group High School
Emerald Queen Casino High School
Glintz Group Elementary School
Asarco Elementary School
Red Bull Junior High School
J Jesse February 16, 2009
This idea is gross. Let’s take out the Pepsi/Coke machines, donuts, Taco Bells, etc from the schools too. Endorsements and profit sharing from corporations at public schools is wrong.
It’s easy to blame schools for poor students but parental involvement makes or breaks a kid and thier success level in school.
C crenshaw sepulveda February 16, 2009
Does the school district think anyone will want to put their name on any of Tacoma’s schools? I understand the advertising business is not what it once was, television advertising is not what it once was and neither is print advertising. About the best we can hope to do is to take kick backs from the military so they can recruit in our schools.
R RR Anderson February 16, 2009
@12
Grist for the Mill High School
G Guy Fawkes February 16, 2009
Why not name schools for leaders of local tribes, or the tribes themselves. We decimated their heritage and culture, so why not make a token offering back to them?
Let’s see those fools back on the east coast try to sell advertising to their clients at Squaxin Middle School, Stillaguamish High and at Sauk-Suiattle Jr High.
M Michael S. February 16, 2009
I know that both Fife and Puyallup school districts already use Microsoft sponsorships to mitigate the costs of new computers and electronics. I also know that they are obligated by the contracts to teach specific programs, such as excel, in specific ways. In B.C., they will bundle schools and public forums into the same facilities, and sell the naming rights of the theatre or auditorium to help pay for the the entire structure, while keeping the name of the school separate from sponsored venue. I generally think that we fail to utilize the full potential corporate sponsorships offer in a capitalistic society, though I also understand why people are generally wary of them.
K Karin February 17, 2009
Sumner High School’s football stadium is already named after a local car dealership. It made me feel a little sick the first time I drove by.
R RR Anderson February 17, 2009
Microsoft High School.
Where everyone is forced to use microsoft products.. I would like a public disclosure of the teen suicide rates at that school.
E Erik B. February 17, 2009
The future of our schools?
R RR Anderson February 17, 2009
Burgerville High School.
Come on down to the drop out factory show room! We promise to shape every child’s mind like a pound of hamburger meat. We promise they wont get salmonella!
R RR Anderson February 17, 2009
Clearchannel Outdoor Highschool.
Students are required to submit book reports as giant billboards, like the one hovering overtop it’s greek to me. Forget about ever taking the god damn things down, they’ll sue for violation of a corporation’s freedom of speech.
Y You're Welcome February 17, 2009
So long as I can get my big tax refund for having 6 kids. So I can go buy me a brand-new-ly refurbished trans-am.
S’all good to me, tell you what.
D David Koch February 17, 2009
I have an idea… How about we ban the sale of ALL soda and pizza and junk food. Then we get businesses that have no ties to the food industry to sponsor a local organic lunch program. That would boost test scores AND would help calm down the students. They might even become more ADDICTED to healthy food AND become ADDICTED to being able to pay attention in class! Plus we’d get more “No Child Left Behind” money for our better test scores instead of having bad test scores and thus being left behind.
T Thank You February 17, 2009
Your’re welcome @ #2 & #18.
Citing a voters statment full of factual errors does not support your argument.
The auditor does not fact check the statments, but rather prints them “as submited” with the author’s names listed.
Check you facts and get back to us.
Tacoma School Dist #10 is not event the highest tax rate in the county.
The State of Washington is not in the Top Ten in the nation.
Many bonds and levys replace each other, so they are NOT new Taxes.
The numbers on the Tacoma School district are inaccurate as are the ones for Bellevue and Seattle.
.
Crap, now I am arguring with Will Baker.
You’re welcome, get your facts straight.
.
BTW: They should not EVER sell the names to ANYTHING In our schools.
Except maybe the toilets.
. We could have the “Charles Miligan” honory crapper
E Erik B. February 17, 2009
According to the TNT, a draft policy currently under consideration by the Tacoma School Board would allow for advertising in schools, the sponsorship of events, and the naming of facilities.
This would amount to state approved corporate marketing to children right out of the womb making life just one continuous commercial to buy more consumer products.
T Thorax O'Tool February 17, 2009
I’m sorry, but public schools should not use any corporate sponsorship in any way shape or form.
Get computers from M$? Promise your kids won’t ever be taught to use Linux or a Mac.
Get textbooks from McDonalds? Promise your kids won’t have aspirations to rise beyond drive-thru manager.
Get food subsidized my Taco Bell and Pepsi? Promise all your kids will be obese by 3 rd grade.
This is not a capitalist society, it never truly has been one… and the amount of stimulating and interference from Uncle Sam lately is only proof that this isn’t really capitalism. But that doesn’t even matter. Companies have absolutely no place in public schools
If Burgerville wants to open their own private school (whether it costs to go or not), so be it if they train your kids to be good corporate worms.
But not with public money in a public institution. There has to be a line drawn before this nation slips completely in to a Corporatocracy… we’re halfway there now, and that’s too far already.
Write your school district reps 100 times and spam the sh*t out of them. Protest, wage sit ins (not hard for the unemployed masses to find time for that). Do what it takes to fight the corporatocracy while we still can.
——> scary thing is, I’m serious.
T Thank you February 17, 2009
Smooth dodge of the info requested. Are you a Ladenburg in disguise?
Either that or you have no clue how taxes are assessed.
.
Drop outs continue to be an issue, but you really need to do and apples to apples comparison. Comparing us to Bellevue, is like comparing us to well… Bellevue. You can’t get more opposite.
.
However, I was challenging the misinformation your were spreading about our tax rate. Do some real research and get back to us.
. Or change the subject again if you wish.
Y You're Welcome February 17, 2009
Huh? I just did. It’s your turn.
Y You're Welcome February 17, 2009
Burgerville Baseball Field
Carls jr. Cafeteria
Sonic Stadium
Dominos Drill Team
I love it. Maybe they can set up a job placement service for the 40% of the kids that drop-out.
E Erik B. February 17, 2009
I’m sorry, but public schools should not use any corporate sponsorship in any way shape or form.
Yep, coporate sponsorship in the schools is the sure fire method to make children know at a fundemental level that their role in the world is to be nothing more than consumers.
The companies are not being benign. They want early product indoctrination.
Teachers would have an immediate conflict of interest to teach anything else.
Perhaps the health class will be sponsored by McDonalds. What a farce. And then to think we would pay taxes to support such a system on top of it. Amazing.
M Michael S. February 17, 2009
@26.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but public schools already do use Microsoft sponsorships which obligate them to teach certain classes the way Microsoft wants them to be taught. Guess what happens: kids learn to use the software and get high paying jobs at Microsoft. In some cases, they are allowed to bypass college and go strait to work, where they are trained on the job. Not to bad a deal if you ask me.
S Squid February 17, 2009
OK, I’m going say here that corporate sponsorship at schools makes me a bit squeamish, but so far the best argument is being made by Michael S., in favor of limited, controlled corporate sponsorships. I deal with this kind of thing on an almost everyday basis and can tell you that very few corporations get into this for purposes of indoctrination. The VAST majority of them do it as almost pure charity and then only take the naming rights to satisfy shareholders who exert pressure against outright charity. It is very easy to write a contract saying “we’ll take your $100,000 but with the following limitations: no influence on curriculum, no involvement in buying decisions, etc. etc.” These aren’t really advertising and marketing deals, they are done to justify what is really much closer to philanthropy. Justifying a naming right for marketing purposes hardly ever pencils out, except with things like sports arenas and things with lots of mass media exposure. With things like schools, non-profits, etc., the exposure is never really worth the money and it is nearly impossible to quantify the value.
Here’s the deal. Our very best schools? Those would be private schools that have been offering and accepting naming rights in a variety of permutations for DECADES with no apparent detriment to the students. Kids at these schools graduate, go to college and proceed to a variety of occupations in business, government, community organizing, non-profits, etc. They seem to be OK despite being exposed to some limited marketing/pr messages. I don’t think there is anything magically different about public school kids that having a Microsoft Lab or the SAFECO Cafeteria would corrupt. Cynicism and scepticism of marketing messages is alive and well in kids from all demographics.
Personally, when it comes to marketing indoctrination, I am WAY more concerned about the effect of peer pressure than I am a nameplate outside a room. Corporate naming can and is done in public buildings with reasonable degrees of integrity(oh and Thorax, Qwest Field, Safeco Field and Key Arena are all public buildings, not private enterprises).
Kids ARE, however, impacted in a very real way by a lack of funding. If corporate sponsorship can help that situation, I say take a look at it.
D David Koch February 17, 2009
@32: Sorry, but being forced to learn Word and PowerPoint doesn’t give kids good jobs at Microsoft… They could learn the same concepts using open source alternatives and save schools lots of money so they wouldn’t need to depend as much on Microsoft to help pay for the programs Microsoft wants them to use. “bypass college and go strait to work”… yeah… at McDonalds.
@33: I will agree that selling naming right aren’t the worst thing that can happen to our schools. Far worse are the textbook monopolies, exclusive soda brand rights, software licensing, and the junk they serve in the vending machines and snack bars. I do think the name “Microsoft Labs” slightly lowers the moral of students, but it the lab being required to use specific software and any other influence over such decision making that I will flat out say “no” to. If it’s going to be philanthropy, then it should be philanthropy.
R RR Anderson February 17, 2009
it’s almost 6 and i’m starving.
Could use a visit to Burgerville Junior High right about now.
J J. Cote February 17, 2009
#22. Could you BE a bigger racist Pig? You probably DID attend Adolph Hitler Junior High.
I haven’t checked this site in a while. Now, I remember why. See you in a month or so when the stench clears.
C crenshaw sepulveda February 18, 2009
Why stop at the schools. I can see St. Joe’s hospital being rebranded as Trader Joe’s Hospital with a big fancy sign looming over Tacoma. TG will become Tacoma General Motors Hospital. Toyota named a truck after Tacoma, where are our royalties?
On the other hand Crenshaw Sepulveda is available for any rebranding ideas industry has in mind. Need to name a new car? Need to name a band? Let’s talk. Limited opportunities are remaining so there is no time to lose.
C Christine February 18, 2009
Gee whiz Cote! That wasn’t a racist statement, that was classist. Get your “ists” correct.
T Thorax OTool February 18, 2009
Micahel S @ 32, I an sorry to burst your bubble, but Microsoft does not hire Americans en masse, they hire mostly foreigners now.
Want proof? Talk to my gf who works in MS’s recruiting department. They spend 80% of their time getting work visas.
Any exclusivity, any corporate sponsorships, etc only serve to damage the next generation and make them less able to compete with other nations/cultures.
We’re selling out or future for just a few hundred thousand dollars.
The idiot in the school system who proposed the plan needs to be drowned in a giant bottle of Pepsi for this.
S Squid February 18, 2009
Y’all are getting way too worked up over nothing. Nobody is talking about renaming schools, just facilities, note the difference. What is the issue with the Columbia Bank Performing Arts Center at Stadium High School? What are they going to do, put subliminal messages to open a checking account into the next production of Our Town? You are making arguments over hypotheticals that would never happen.
Everybody. Take a deep breath.
S Squid February 18, 2009
Oh and TOT, drowning somebody, even in jest, not cool.
However, giving Charlie Milligan a swirly? Priceless.
T Thorax O'Tool February 19, 2009
You’re right, even jesting about drowning is grossly inappropriate and all forms of uncool… and it is equally as sick to have corporate naming rights for public schools.
I will apologize for my emotionally heated, rather inappropriate comment at a joint news conference with me and the board of the Tacoma School District… immediately after they apologize to the good people of Tacoma for even thinking up this atrocious idea.
R razzle February 21, 2009
Tacoma School Board did not propose the idea. The administrators proposed it to the school board. So before everyone decides to blame the school board for something they obviously strongly dislike…. Relax, they pulled it from the next meeting’s agenda.
S Squid February 23, 2009
Excellent. An opportunity for a reasoned, public discussion squashed. That is what I love about these Interwebs.
T Thorax O'Tool February 23, 2009
“Relax, they pulled it from the next meeting’s agenda“
Good. Should have never been proposed by Administrator X in the first place.
Off topic: That would be an awesome name for a Gothic/Industrial band… Administrator X
E Erik B. February 23, 2009
Excellent. An opportunity for a reasoned, public discussion squashed. That is what I love about these Interwebs.
Looks like another civic victory for Tacoma’s blogospere.
J J. Cote February 25, 2009
Christine, I stand corrected, however, as in most cases of nefarious cyber-isms, one must read the message BETWEEN the lines to see the racist pig. I tend to lean towards the premise that one can not make class-ist statement without there being an undertone of racism. One dwells within the other.
Rename Wilson High Folsom High and correctional Facility. It was Certainly built for it
J Jesse February 25, 2009
J. Cote: Perhaps you are the racist if you assume someone without money is automatically a minority.
PS- Fixed up Trans-Ams are synonymous with WHITE trash.
Y You're Welcome February 25, 2009
Hey J. Missed you.
I was looking through my window describing one of my many neighbors at that exact moment.