NEWSBYJOSH GOLIN

Editor's Note: This blog post is written by Josh Golin, associate director of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood. His organization is leading the effort end Scholastic's "InSchool Marketing" of corporate and industry materials. You can sign their petition to add your support, or leave a note on Scholastic's Facebook wall.

For years, Scholastic has exploited its privileged position in schools to serve as Trojan horse for all sorts of inappropriate marketing.  But a couple of weeks ago, the company got caught red-handed when a campaign led by CCFC and Rethinking Schools exposed the fact that the self-proclaimed “most trusted name in learning” was distributing one-sided teaching materials in schools paid for by the coal industry.  After extensive protests by advocates for education and the environment, Scholastic pulled the materials and vowed to review its policies and editorial procedures on all sponsored classroom materials.

As Scholastic conducts its review, CCFC is urging its members and anyone concerned about the commercialization of education to weigh in.  In a petition hosted on Change.org and CCFC’s website, more than 50,000 parents and teachers have already urged Scholastic to stop distributing all corporate and industry-sponsored teaching materials and shutter its controversial InSchool Marketing program.