Not really political But What do you think

[badbullgator]

An elementary school just up the street from my home has what they call “Family Pizza Night” each week on Thursday. Apparently it is in conjunction with Dominos Pizza and for every pizza bought by families whose children attend the school; Dominos gives a dollar or some figure to the school. OK I am all about non taxpayer money for schools, BUT I am not so sure I like this idea because;
Every walkway and driveway to the school is plastered with Dominos signs reminding the students and family that “tonight is pizza night” I am not sure that I like the idea of allowing a company to use a school to drum up business and/or hook the children on a certain brand.
I also am not sure how I feel about the school promoting pizza nights when 1) there are a lot of FAT children in this and most schools 2) schools themselves are required to serve “more healthy diets” in their cafeterias.
Of course there is the liberal view (I don’t really want ot turn this into con/lib thing sorry) of what about the poor children whose families cannot afford to buy pizza for the family on Family Pizza night.

Like I said I am not sure how I feel about this, but for some reason every Thursday when I drive by the school on the way to work it gets me thinking about these things. What is your take? Harmless and good for the school? A bad thing for the kids? ?????????

[Ken Newcomb]

Around here it used to be against poliy to allow private advertising within the school grounds. Now Pizza Hut and Culvers operate inside our school because they give money back to the school. I am not yet sure how this is different from giving a kickback to a government entity but I don't think I really like it either.

[YardleyLabs]

I share your discomfort. Around here it is even worse with soda companies vying to purchase advertising rights in schools. They will commit to contributing substantial funds over a period of years. In return the schools commit to providing soda machines stocking the vendor's products and even commit to a certain volume of sales. It seems more and more schools are caving into this kind of activity as an easy way to fill holes in the their budgets.

[Mike Noel]

We have a similar situation with a pizza place down here and there are a couple of other restaurants that have got in the mix as well. I hate the commercial aspect of it but think about it, kids are not going to stop eating pizza if they stop having Dominoes night.

What really got me was when my boys were in that school they came home every wednesday with a sticker on their shirt reminding us that it was pizza night. Between that and the signs we did feel like it was being shoved down our throats.

I know that the public elementary schools here don't have soda but I am not sure about the middle and high schools as my older boys are in private school.
It seems to me that the State of Texas got rid of soda in all of the schools or at least attempted to.

[zeus3925]

This is a long term problem with businesses trying to get ahead of the pack by giving "incentives" to schools to establish brand identity early.

[badbullgator]

We have a similar situation with a pizza place down here and there are a couple of other restaurants that have got in the mix as well. I hate the commercial aspect of it but think about it, kids are not going to stop eating pizza if they stop having Dominoes night.

What really got me was when my boys were in that school they came home every wednesday with a sticker on their shirt reminding us that it was pizza night. Between that and the signs we did feel like it was being shoved down our throats.

I know that the public elementary schools here don't have soda but I am not sure about the middle and high schools as my older boys are in private school.
It seems to me that the State of Texas got rid of soda in all of the schools or at least attempted to.

See that is one of the problems I have with it. Some thing here certian things are not allowed (chips, soda, candy), but pizza can be pushed because they are giving a "kick back"

[Gerry Clinchy]

It's probably a matter of some positive & some negative.

One of the strong points is that it brings families together at the school. It allows teachers to meet parents without the formality of other situations where they are compelled to meet.

Parent involvement in education has proven to be an important factor in how well kids do in school.

Just getting a family together for supper is a feat! This, too, can have a positive effect on the kids.

Gives parents a chance to meet their kids' friends and their friends' parents. That can have a positive effect on keeping tabs on the crowd that your kid is hanging out with, and what their parents are like.

Perhaps even poorer families could afford one Thursday a month for pizza night? I might doubt that all the kids in the school & their families go every single Thursday?

Yup, the obesity thing is a national problem, but pizza may be one of the more nutritious "fast foods" out there.

It's not new for a brand to do this with schools. Anyone still saving those Campbell's soup labels? One of our local grocery chains also has a program that donates to schools.

[badbullgator]

It's probably a matter of some positive & some negative.

One of the strong points is that it brings families together at the school. It allows teachers to meet parents without the formality of other situations where they are compelled to meet.

Parent involvement in education has proven to be an important factor in how well kids do in school.

Just getting a family together for supper is a feat! This, too, can have a positive effect on the kids.

Gives parents a chance to meet their kids' friends and their friends' parents. That can have a positive effect on keeping tabs on the crowd that your kid is hanging out with, and what their parents are like.

Perhaps even poorer families could afford one Thursday a month for pizza night? I might doubt that all the kids in the school & their families go every single Thursday?

Yup, the obesity thing is a national problem, but pizza may be one of the more nutritious "fast foods" out there.

It's not new for a brand to do this with schools. Anyone still saving those Campbell's soup labels? One of our local grocery chains also has a program that donates to schools.

No that is not the case. Familes are suppose to order the pizza at home, not at the school. There is no gathering

[Mike Noel]

No that is not the case. Familes are suppose to order the pizza at home, not at the school. There is no gathering

Ours requires you to go to the location and eat but there are not any teachers in attendance as a matter of course. Its all about the benji's.

[Marvin S]

It is symptomatic of an education system that fails to deliver the product they were intended to deliver. If you can clutter the learning process with enough feel good distractions parents do not realize Johnny & Janey are not receiving the education they need to survive in the outside world until it is too late. By then the system has a new group of shills for their fund raising.

Many years ago, while serving on a school board, I made an issue of the fund raising activities & the various distractions they were causing during the educational process. This placed me in the eye of a JH PTA group & they wrote a Letter to the Editor in our local rag. I responded with about a 2,000 word rebuttal which placed me on the carpet at the next SB meeting. Interestingly, the problems I had outlined in my rebuttal got cleaned up as the PTA realized that what I said was true. The establishment did not like it & used their only weapon, inequitable treatment of my children as their revenge. But, we handled it as a family & all students benefitted from greater attention to their needs.

People need to realize our educational system is not in good shape - just ask Bill Gates. When you elect people to the School Board who are only shills for the educational establishment children's true needs are not met. & that true need is preparation for a productive life.

BTW Corey, it is very political, the Donkey's answer to the direction of Teacher's Unions.