School Cuts Budget, Teacher Puts Ads on Test to Make Money Back

When the going gets tough.... Tom Farber, a teacher at a suburban San Diego school, has sold out his ad inventory for the year. That's pretty good in this economy.

When Farber's school district "announced the district was cutting spending on supplies by nearly a third, [he] had a problem. At 3 cents a page, his tests would cost more than $500 a year. His copying budget: $316," found USA Today. "But he wanted to give students enough practice for the big tests they'll face in the spring, such as the Advanced Placement exam. 'Tough times call for tough actions,' he says. So he started selling ads on his test papers: $10 for a quiz, $20 for a chapter test, $30 for a semester final."

The ads are not the likes of McDonalds or Nike, rather, local dentists or an engineering firm, but those worried about the commercialization of schools are concerned. Farber shouldn't have to put his own money down--the average teacher spends $430 of their own money each year--but does he have any other choices?

h/t California Faultline | Photo by orangeacid via Flickr