A recent New York Times article, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/10/education/10marketing.html, mentioned how the influx of charter schools has led to many traditional schools spending time, money, and resources on marketing their school. School Chancellor Joel Klein stated that dwindling enrollment is one of the criteria in deciding which schools to close; he argues that parents and students “voting with their feet” is a legitimate indicator of school quality.
A few schools have worked with professional marketing firms to create sophisticated Web sites and blogs, though most marketing firms have either worked for free or charged a small fee, amounting to less than $500. The article mentions that some schools are “revamping school logos and encouraging students and teachers to wear T-shirts emblazoned with the new designs.” “River East Elementary, on East 120th Street, draws students throughout Harlem and typically has more applicants than seats. But at this time of year, staff members spend hours scurrying to day care centers, churches and apartment complexes to find prospective parents.” One has to wonder whether school choice advocates had ever imagined that this would be one of the consequences of the movement.
While it seems that schools should just focus on academic achievement, and that academic achievement will trump any marketing pitch, past history of consumer choice has shown that our minds are malleable and can be swayed by gimmicks and good marketing (e.g. VHS vs. Beta). How much, if any, focus should be put on marketing a school? Can this marketing instill a school pride in students that translates into improved academic achievement?
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