September 14, 2000
For Immediate Release

Contact:
Andrew Hagelshaw, Center for Commercial-Free Public Education 510 268-1100
Jill Wynns, San Francisco School Board member 415-828-7204 or 415-241-6427
Danny Weiss, of US Representative George Miller’s office 202-225-2095

Sample School Policies on Advertising to Kids Released
Thursday’s GAO Report Finds Such Policies Missing or Incomplete in Most School Districts

Oakland, CA—The Center for Commercial-Free Public Education on Thursday released Sample School Board Policies on Commercialism, designed for use in any school district in North America. The Center’s Sample Policies are intended to help schools districts define what is and isn’t acceptable with commercials in schools. A GAO report issued Thursday confirms the existence of advertising in many public schools across the US, and concludes that most districts are lacking adequate policies to deal with the problem.

"The GAO is confirming what our Center has known for years- brand name advertisers are disrupting the public school environment by using valuable time and space to push their products on a captive audience of kids" said Andrew Hagelshaw, Executive Director for the Center. "It is inappropriate for schools, as publicly funded institutions, to promote particular brand name products to their students. School districts obviously need policies in place so that they can address this problem before it gets out of hand."

The Center’s Sample Policies are compiled from five already existing school board policies around the US. One of these policies, the "Commercial Free Schools Act" passed in 1999 by the San Francisco Unified School District, has already stood up to a challenge from a proposed exclusive contract with Pepsi.

"San Francisco illustrates why every district needs a comprehensive policy on school advertising- because policies protect the district from the song and dance routines marketers use to take advantage of public school s", said Hagelshaw. "Policies can also prevent school districts from falling down the slippery slope of commercialism. Once a district allows one brand name advertiser, they often end up allowing another, and on and on until the community has lost control over who is really teaching their kids. A school board policy allows a district to put their foot down and draw the line."

Among the items the GAO found in schools were Channel One (the TV news show that contains ads), ZapMe (the computer version of Channel One), exclusive cola vending contracts with Coke and Pepsi, and curriculum advertising such as the McGraw-Hill textbook for sixth graders with ads right in the story problems. The GAO study was ordered by US Representative George Miller.

To View the Sample Policies, visit www.commercialfree.org

-- 30 --

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