The Gadflyer explains Why Sally Foster is evil.
(The dread name “Sally Foster” won't mean much to you if you don't have school-age kids, or if you live in a country that adequately funds its schools, so just skip it.)
I mean, I knew Sally Foster was evil: it's overpriced gift wrap, albeit of good quality. Their MLM-style marketing campaign promises kids “rewards” like TVs if they sell several hundred dollars of Sally Foster junk to their parents' friends. From which I conclude that there's lots of money not going to the school but into Sally's pocket.
But. But. Lately of The Carlyle Group???
Well, I don’t know of Sally Foster, but we have our share of sell the parents junk campaigns. In one campaign, we ordered chocolats from a flyer. When they were delivered, they contained long-expired shelf dates. Many of the parents complained. A month later, everybody was given new chocolats w/ unexpired shelf dates. I wasn’t stupid. I pealed off the unexpired expiry sticker to find the old expired one underneath.
Wait…are you suggesting we shouldn’t be gracious towards this free market opportunity to raise money for our schools? Sacrilege!
Seriously though, when are we going to start funding anything adequately other than corporate subsidies and the defense industry? Not bloody anytime soon.
I hope you’re happy, Professor. I’m now giving the cold shoulder to every door knocking prepubescent I will ever see again, whether Girl Scout or Junior Communist, until i’ve seen a list of investors…
Seriously, though, there was a good piece on (i think) all things considered, but definitely on NPR, I believe on Saturday, about the ways major marketers are using the schools to find new markets, from McDonalds and the oil companies writing up “curriculums” on how wonderful fossil fuels are, to schools trading free televisions for cable access kids programming with 2 minutes of ads built in…this doesn’t shock me in the slightest, when you see their numbers on the disposable income of the under 12s, you’ll either raise their allowance or cut it out altogether.
My spawn is in 6th grade, and has never participated in any school fundraisers. I’d much rather cut the PTO a check than torment my friends, family and co-workers, which is presented as the only option for these sales, as you should never ever send your ickle precious child door-to-door in today’s evil awful world. (A paraphrase of the selling tips provided with the catalogs.)