On November 28, the Seattle School Board will finally take a step toward keeping corporations from advertising in Seattle Schools.

As drafted, the new policy would prohibit outright advertising in school and district facilities and would phase out the daily commercial TV program called Channel One. Board members Michael Preston and Nancy Waldman deserve credit for developing a district-wide policy on commercialism and bringing it forward for a vote.

Unfortunately, there is a serious loophole--the policy permits logos to identify corporate sponsors at the discretion of each building principal. This is the mechanism that already permits the for-profit Sonics corporation to send home a brightly-colored "reading log" card featuring its logo with children, for example. Approximately 20,000 Seattle parents and kids are exposed to the Sonics logos every day. The program provides prizes with Sonics logos as incentives for reading, yet does not contribute even a dollar to district or school budgets.

First, what is a "corporate sponsor"? In Seattle, many businesses, both local and multi-national, give in-kind or cash donations to individual schools or the district as a whole. All too often, the "gift" is essentially a vehicle to transport the logo where the captive audience of schoolchildren can see it. Mills Music donates hundreds of cardboard folders to band and orchestra students with its logo prominently displayed. AT&T donates a free t-shirts with their logo to students at Meany Middle School. In Seattle schools, these logo-bearing items are virtually always unnecessary or could easily be handmade by children themselves.

These dubious quid pro quo arrangements are frankly giving business a bad name. Not all local business people are exploiting kids at school. Some provide support with nary a logo in sight. A number of businesses donate items to adult auctions to help pay for elementary school field trips. Others arrange paid summer internships or donate equipment in Kjell Rye's technology classes at Garfield through the Emerald City Rotary. Other businesses establish college scholarships for local high school students. The Seattle business community stands to gain when kids get a good education, and it knows it.

Second, what is a logo? Unlike earlier forms of advertising, a logo is not composed of persuasive text and artwork but is a shorthand graphic image symbolizing a product, a company, or a trade association. Size and placement of logos are important, but the key elements are graphics and position. The graphics of the symbol and/or type font are trademarked because they are so powerful. The logo gains power when it is juxtaposed with desirable images and credible entities, which is why corporations are so eager to associate their logos with feel-good causes such as reading programs. Logos to identify corporate sponsors are promotional gimmicks that attempt to brand children at an early age. School is the perfect setting for exposing children to logos, since children by law must attend daily. In Seattle, 47,000 kids attending school constitute a tempting marketing opportunity.

How are corporate logos used to brand kids in Seattle schools? Washington Mutual starts its school banking program with its logos on passbooks for first-graders. General Foods places its logos on posters in the front hallways of elementary schools. Nike plasters inspirational posters of athletes--wearing Nike gear, of course--throughout the halls in secondary schools. Huge Coke logos show up on the banks of large lighted Coke machines in high traffic areas in virtually all middle and high schools.

A logo is a powerful form of advertising. A commercialism policy that ostensibly prohibits ads but permits logos to identify corporate sponsors is a bad joke--and the joke's on the kids.

Who is pushing the School Board to adopt a strong policy? The Citizens' Campaign for Commercial-Free Schools is a non-profit, all-volunteer organization formed five years ago by parents, teachers and other citizens. The organization has grown rapidly to over 1000 supporters including elected officials, educators, community leaders, and people from all walks of life. It works to educate the School Board and community about the underlying issues and implications of school commercialism and make sure that not only corporate voices are heard. Numerous educational, labor, and community groups have joined CCCIS in opposing commercialization of schools.

The controversial Seattle school district commercialism policy is scheduled for a vote on Wed. Nov. 28, 2-4 PM at the Administrative & Services Center (815 Fourth Ave. N, 2 blocks N. of the Opera House). To testify or leave a message for school board members, call the school board office at 206-298-7040. (Public comment time must be reserved 24 hours in advance.) To find out how to help the Campaign keep logos out of schools, email cccs@scn.org, phone 206.523.4922, or go to www.scn.org/cccs.

--Dr. Brita Butler-Wall is Executive Director of the Citizens' Campaign for Commercial-Free Schools.