Bake Sales, Car Washes, Advertising...

Every year teachers fight cut backs from the Federal Gov. and every year it seems like they lose. Less books, less money and of course - more students. We have all heard the cry - maybe the armed forces should be forced to hold a bake sale to get the money they need. Not a bad idea, but this fat kid will not be spending 10 million on a cupcake. Bottom line, there is just no cupcake in the world worth that much... Hence, school do bake sales. 50 cent cupcakes are so worth it and I will buy them by the dozen, even if they are bad...

A teacher in San Diego has another answer to raise money during, yet another, budget crunch. As reported first by USA Today, Tom Farber of Rancho Bernardo, San Diego, started selling ads on his test papers: $10 for a quiz, $20 for a chapter test, $30 for a semester final. So far, he has collected $350. His semester final is sold out.

I like Tom's style. Go get'em Tom! Don't let the man get you down... But there is a man trying to get Tom down - while Tom is working hard to give his students what they need with a plan is both attractive to the schools bottom line and the companies that choose to advertise there is one man that is trying to stop Tom from selling ads on his test - of course Captain Dooms Day will not be supplementing the schools bottom line with cash lost if he stops the ads on test....

Robert Weissman (i.e. Captain Dooms Day), managing director of Commercial Alert, a Washington-based non-profit that fights commercialization in school and elsewhere. If test-papers-as-billboards catches on, he says, schools in the grip of tough economic times could start relying on them to help the bottom line.

And the problem with that is.....???? Hey Robert, yeah you Captain Dooms Day - why don't you spend your time trying to get schools more money instead of stifling the entrepreneurial spirit of Tom and his school - this SD school is living and embracing the American dream... They are not complaining about a lack of funds - they are working hard to make sure that the students get a great education and hustling to do it. Our countries priorities are out of whack and until they get in line great people like Tom have work a bit hard and think outside of the box...

About two-thirds of Tom's ads are inspirational messages underwritten by parents. Others are ads for local businesses, such as two from a structural engineering firm and one from a dentist who urges students, "Brace Yourself for a Great Semester!"

We should only get concerned when/if Tom's test start advertising new car sales, credit card ads, adult themed entrainment, beer ads, etc... I admit we need to have some clear cut lines on what can and cannot be ads on a test for kids. As an example, Bud - you cannot advertise here - sorry. Joe Camel, you can - kids already smoke and you are such a cool camel... Maybe the best camel in the world. Red Bull - NO! These kids are hyper enough, they don't need you.. Starbucks - YES... Half these kids work there and get health care from your company so spend away. Lotions and Lace - NO! These kids don't need any new ideas and they are not old enough to buy from your establishment. Nordstrom Rack - YES. Lets teach these kids to buy items on sale. Trojan - well I guess, no more knocked up kids. Fire Hot Cheetos - a must!

Back to a serious note, lets look at the national numbers -

The National Education Association says teachers spend about $430 out of their pockets each year for school supplies. This semester, Christine Van Ruiten, a teacher at E.C. Reems, a charter school in East Oakland, has spent $2,000. She scours Craigslist for free supplies and posts requests to DonorsChoose.org, which matches teachers with donors.

Founded in 2000 by Charles Best, then a Bronx teacher, DonorsChoose has funded about 65,000 projects totaling $26 million. Best calls it "a more dignified, substantive alternative for teachers than selling candy door-to-door — and certainly than selling ad space on final exams. That's crazy."

More dignified - come on Charles... Get off your DonorsChoose.org high horse... You are just upset that you did not think about this... More dignified would be teachers getting paid a fare wage and students getting what they need to learn... Until then Tom and others like him need to keep on fighting the good fight. Without teachers like Tom where would be?