Teachers as Registered Fund-Raisers
Teachers from 230 Southern California schools were among thousands across the West who flipped burgers Thursday at McDonald’s restaurants to raise money for their schools.
The annual event expanded this year to 1,200 restaurants and as many schools in 14 Western states. Franchises that take part donate 20% of the evening’s sales from designated registers to neighborhood schools.
Barb Stokke, principal of Woodbury Elementary School in Garden Grove, said the money is welcome.
“There are so many things we need,” she said as she wiped tables Thursday. “Materials for the classrooms, the library . . . “
At the same restaurant, Woodbury teacher Jennifer Fu, 25, filled boxes with French fires and slid them under a heat lamp.
“I’m pretty hot back here,” Fu said. “But I’m fine. It is for our school. The turnout says it all. The kids are so excited.”
Woodbury was one of 30 participating schools in Orange County. In Los Angeles County, 145 campuses signed up this year.
Organizers expect to raise $1 million total this year, an average of $800 for each participating school.
But events such as McTeacher’s Night do not go down well with critics of the increasing corporate presence in public schools. They decry such partnerships as ways for companies to market themselves to impressionable youngsters.
“No matter how much money McDonald’s is giving, it doesn’t compare to how much they will be making” in customer loyalty, said Emily Heath, senior program director for the Oakland-based Center for Commercial Free Public Education. “If McDonald’s wants to grant $1 million and get a plaque of recognition, that is one thing, but why make it contingent on people buying their product?”
Children are inundated with advertising outside the schools, Heath said, but “public schools should be different. When we open the doors to corporations, it changes the mission of the schools, which is to educate our children.”
In east Hollywood, where teachers from Ramona Elementary School worked at a local franchise, Principal Susan Leo Arcaris acknowledged criticism of the alliance with the fast-food chain. But, she said of the 100 or so children from her school who had come with their parents, “We can tell them to eat carrots, celery and apples, but it’s not going to make a big difference.”
Alicia De Soto-Foley of Occidental College’s Center for Food and Justice, which promotes healthy eating in schools, disagreed.
“It sends a real bad message,” she said. “The schools are so underfunded, they have to resort to junk food to raise money.”
The event started several years ago with some franchises and local campuses. Teachers work behind the counters, students and their families buy meals, a portion of the night’s proceeds goes to schools.
Franchisees in Southern California got together earlier this year and decided to coordinate their efforts and encourage more participation. McDonald’s corporate officials offered $100 to each participating school.
Many school officials said marketing is a fact of life and, if a company gets recognition for a good deed, no harm is done.
“When a company is willing to do something to support our schools . . . we are not coercing anyone and there is no other impact but getting money, I feel OK,” said Barbara DeHart, superintendent of Westminster School District, where four campuses participated Thursday.
As long as educators are vigilant about what benefits students and what is purely for corporate gain, she said, “It is a win-win situation.”
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Times staff writer Hector Becerra contributed to this report.
