CNN reported recently that students taking exams at a suburban San Diego, Calif., high school are handed the test, only to see an advertisement reading, “Brace yourself for a great semester! Braces by Henry, Stephen P. Henry D.M.D.”
Faced by substantial budget cuts, Tom Farber, teacher at Rancho Bernando High School, reached out to advertisers to help alleviate the burden of printing costs for his students’ exams.
Explore this phenomenon, and students’ opinions on the practice.
- Would you be ok with this type of advertisement?
- What message does it send to the administration?
- Is Farber simply trying to raise awareness of the budget problems plaguing his high school?
- Should administrators set guidelines for this type of advertising practice?
Farber explains in the Dec. 4 CNN report that he hopes his practice — mini ads on each page of the exam — will not become the standard, as he views it more as a short-term solution to the current economic crisis than any novel norm. But imagine this: You’re sitting for your exam, and the bottom of the page advertises the best pizza found in your city. Don’t you think students might get a little distracted?
