Public school publicity

Charter schooling has grown to become one of the most popular methods of education in recent years. Schools are popping up all over the country, with their well staffed halls, top notch programs and private funding. This has come at the detriment of the more traditional public school. As I noted last week, public schools are embroiled in battles to increase productivity by any means possible, resulting in harsh and possibly rash decisions by those in charge. Now, charter schools are forcing their public counterparts to vie for filling seats.


New York City public schools have begun small marketing campaigns to entice parents to enroll their children. These campaigns are individually supported by concerned parents and administrators at at-risk schools, especially those where a charter school has moved into the neighborhood. Charter schools are eligible and do receive public funding, but are also able to privately market themselves for donations. This week’s Oscar Awards, for example, featured a commercial advertisement for a Harlem charter school. With the notion that charter schools offer a better education, whether correct or not, public schools are literally fighting for their lives. Fewer students equal increased possibility of closure, regardless of performance.

Instructors and parents having to concern themselves with publicity can only have adverse consequences on the education of students. Unfortunately, without this publicity the students will not have schools to attend.