Big Food’s Nefarious Presence in Schools

The corporatization of schools appears to only be increasing, and food industry giants are among the most active players.

Highlights from a recent Think Progress piece:

• “During a fundraising event named “McTeacher’s Night,” teachers can work a shift at McDonald’s during which part of the fast food restaurant’s proceeds will go toward those teachers’ schools. Teachers can do anything from working the cash register to flipping burgers.”
• “The Campaign for Commercial-Free Childhood conducted research last year on how much money is actually raised on these nights and found that they typically only provide $1 to $2 per student. In return, McDonald’s gets free labor from teachers, free advertising, and introduces a product to children in the hope of creating brand loyalty.”

• “This type of corporate activity isn’t entirely new. For instance, Pizza Hut’s BOOK IT! program, which provides students with pizza when they read a certain number of books, has been going on since 1984. But it is becoming easier for corporations to take advantage of underfunded schools.”
• “Across the country, large urban school systems — such as Detroit Public Schools, Chicago Public Schools, and Los Angeles Unified School District — are going through budget crises or are teetering on the brink of them. Rural school districts are also struggling financially and considering mergers to provide basic services to students. This underfunding of public education presents an opportunity for corporations, as schools desperate for new fundraising mechanisms may turn a blind eye to corporate involvement in schools.”

• “The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation, a not-for-profit organization focused on reducing childhood obesity, runs a free wellness curriculum called Together Counts. But the foundation’s board of directors includes executives from Nestle, PepsiCo, General Mills, Bumble Bee Foods, The Coca Cola Company, and J.M. Smucker Company — and its Board of Governors also includes executives from many of these same companies, as well as the Food Marketing Institute.”
• “Research shows that children’s minds are particularly vulnerable to advertising because they don’t understand the persuasive intent of ads until they reach their preteens. In this context, it’s not necessarily wise for schools to abdicate their responsibility to provide an education that is factually accurate and free of corporate interference.”

• “According to Cecily Myart-Cruz, NEA vice president of United Teachers, Los Angeles, activities like McTeacher’s Nights are often happening in low-income communities that are already contending with health problems. By promoting unhealthy food to students by encouraging them to come to these events, students and their families are putting their health at risk.”
• “Policies aren’t addressing rampant commercialism in schools either. Many schools don’t have policies against corporate involvement in schools, and very few states bar this activity. The only federal legislation that addresses the issue is specific to advertising food that wouldn’t be eaten at school, but that still doesn’t prevent the promotion of events like McTeacher’s Night.”
• “The administrators have become cheerleaders for the brand, saying McDonald’s is wonderful, and so there is no downside,” Josh Golin, executive director for The Campaign for Commercial-Free Childhood added. “Obviously when you’re talking about teachers serving junk food to kids, there is a tremendous downside.”