Publications: School Commercialism

Demystifying Education Public-Private Partnerships: What Every Policymaker Should Know

Resource Document

Frank Adamson, Anjela Taneja, and Jo Walker

February 27, 2025

Digital Technologies and the Commercialism of Education

FYI

Neil Selwyn and Faith Boninger

April 9, 2024

Time for a Pause: Without Effective Public Oversight, AI in Schools Will Do More Harm Than Good.

Policy Brief

Ben Williamson, Alex Molnar, and Faith Boninger

March 5, 2024

Mark Zuckerberg Tried to Revolutionize American Education With Technology. It Didn’t Go as Planned.

Resource Document

Matt Barnum

October 11, 2023

photo of filing cabinets with a key attached

We Need Better Education Policy. Summit Public Schools Shows Why.

Research Brief

Alex Molnar, Faith Boninger, Anna Noble, and Meenakshi Mani

September 21, 2023

Consumer-Oriented School Rating Systems and Their Implications for Educational Equity

Policy Brief

Jeanne M. Powers

April 13, 2023

Don’t Go ‘Along’ With Corporate Schemes to Gather up Student Data

Resource Document

Faith Boninger and Alex Molnar

March 1, 2022

Issues to Consider Before Adopting a Digital Platform or Learning Program

Policy Brief

Faith Boninger, Alex Molnar, and Michael K. Barbour

September 24, 2020

The Commercial Transformation of America’s Schools

Resource Document

Alex Molnar and Faith Boninger

September 21, 2020

Michelle Renée Valladares, Ph.D. and Kate Somerville on COVID-19's Impact on K-12 Education

FYI

Michelle Renée Valladares and Kate Somerville

July 8, 2020

Big Claims, Little Evidence, Lots of Money: The Reality Behind the Summit Learning Program and the Push to Adopt Digital Personalized Learning Platforms

Research Brief

Faith Boninger, Alex Molnar, and Christopher Saldaña

June 25, 2020

New Concerns Raised About a Well-Known Digital Learning Platform

Resource Document

Valerie Strauss, Alex Molnar, and Faith Boninger

June 25, 2020

NEPC Review: Commercial Cash: How NY Schools Can Raise Extra Money Without Raising Taxes (Urban Institute, September 2019)

NEPC Review

William S. Koski

November 19, 2019

Education Interview of the Month: Greg Smith Interviews Faith Boninger and Alex Molnar About Personalized Learning and Digital Privatization

FYI

Gregory A. Smith, Faith Boninger, and Alex Molnar

May 14, 2019

Personalized Learning and the Digital Privatization of Curriculum and Teaching

Research Brief

Faith Boninger, Alex Molnar, and Christopher Saldaña

April 30, 2019

How Corporate Interests Are Overtaking Well-Intentioned Goals of Personalized Learning

Resource Document

Valerie Strauss, Alex Molnar, and Faith Boninger

April 30, 2019

Education Interview of the Month: Greg Smith Interviews Christopher Saldaña About Teachers as Brand Ambassadors

FYI

Gregory A. Smith and Christopher Saldaña

February 14, 2019

Examining the New Phenomenon of Teachers as Brand Ambassadors

Research Brief

Christopher Saldaña, Kevin G. Welner, Susan Malcolm, and Eleanore Tisch

January 17, 2019

Why We’re Glad that the National Education Policy Center Deleted Its Facebook Account

Resource Document

Alex Molnar and Faith Boninger

April 5, 2018

Education Interview of the Month: Greg Smith Interviews Faith Boninger on Student Privacy

FYI

Gregory A. Smith and Faith Boninger

September 21, 2017

Asleep at the Switch: Schoolhouse Commercialism, Student Privacy, and the Failure of Policymaking

Research Brief

Faith Boninger, Alex Molnar, and Kevin Murray

August 15, 2017

Learning to be Watched: Surveillance Culture at School

Research Brief

Faith Boninger and Alex Molnar

May 17, 2016

How Companies Learn What Children Secretly Want

Resource Document

Faith Boninger and Alex Molnar

March 17, 2016

How to Create and Maintain Civil Society Space

Policy Memo

Alex Molnar and Faith Boninger

September 18, 2015

On the Block: Student Data and Privacy in the Digital Age

Research Brief

Alex Molnar and Faith Boninger

April 9, 2015

Report of the Special Rapporteur in the Field of Cultural Rights

Resource Document

Farida Shaheed

September 17, 2014

Schoolhouse Commercialism Leaves Policymakers Behind

Research Brief

Alex Molnar, Faith Boninger, Ken Libby, and Joseph Fogarty

March 11, 2014

Representative CERU Publications (prepared for United Nations Consultation on “The Impact of Advertising on Cultural Rights”)

Resource Document

Alex Molnar

October 28, 2013

Promoting Consumption at School: Health Threats Associated with Schoolhouse Commercialism

Research Brief

Alex Molnar, Faith Boninger, Michael D. Harris, Ken Libby, and Joseph Fogarty

April 18, 2013

The Educational Cost of Schoolhouse Commercialism

Research Brief

Alex Molnar, Faith Boninger, and Joseph Fogarty

November 7, 2011

Effectively Embedded: The Thirteenth Annual Report on Schoolhouse Commercializing Trends: 2009-2010

Research Brief

Alex Molnar, Faith Boninger, Gary Wilkinson, Joseph Fogarty, and Sean Geary

December 2, 2010

Policy and Statutory Responses to Advertising and Marketing in Schools

Legislative Brief

Alex Molnar, William S. Koski, and Faith Boninger

January 13, 2010

Click: The Twelfth Annual Report on Schoolhouse Commercialism Trends: 2008-2009

Research Brief

Alex Molnar, Faith Boninger, Gary Wilkinson, and Joseph Fogarty

October 6, 2009

Marketing of Food in Schools: Little Educational or Nutritional Content

Legacy Publication

Alex Molnar

May 29, 2009

At Sea in a Marketing-Saturated World: The Eleventh Annual Report on Schoolhouse Commercialism Trends: 2007-2008

Research Brief

Alex Molnar, Faith Boninger, Gary Wilkinson, and Joseph Fogarty

September 22, 2008

NEPC Review: A School Privatization Primer for Michigan School Officials, Media and Residents (Mackinac Center, June 2007)

NEPC Review

Clive Belfield

February 19, 2008

The Commercial and Non-Commercial in Education: A Dialogue

Legacy Publication

Alex Molnar

November 17, 2007

Adrift: Schools in a Total Marketing Environment. The Tenth Annual Report on Schoolhouse Commercialism Trends: 2006-2007

Research Brief

Alex Molnar and Faith Boninger

October 1, 2007

A National Survey of the Types and Extent of the Marketing of Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value in Schools

Research Brief

Alex Molnar, David R. Garcia, Faith Boninger, and Bruce Merrill

January 1, 2006

The Ninth Annual Report on Schoolhouse Commercialism Trends: 2005-2006

Research Brief

Alex Molnar

January 1, 2006

Empty Calories: Commercializing Activities in America's Schools

Research Brief

Alex Molnar and David R. Garcia

November 1, 2005

School Commercialism and Adolescent Health

Legacy Publication

Alex Molnar

January 1, 2005

Education for Sale! The Commodification of Everything?

Resource Document

Stephen Ball

June 17, 2004

Cashing in on the Classroom

Legacy Publication

Alex Molnar

January 1, 2004

Virtually Everywhere: Marketing to Children in America's Schools

Research Brief

Alex Molnar

January 1, 2004

School Commercialism, Student Health, and the Pressure to Do More With Less

Research Brief

Alex Molnar

January 1, 2003

The Commercial Assault on Children and the School Environment

Legacy Publication

Alex Molnar

January 1, 2003

Parents, Are You Aware of the Commercialism Activity in Your School? You Should Be

Legacy Publication

Alex Molnar

January 1, 2003

Sold Out: Corporate Marketing in America's Schools

Legacy Publication

Alex Molnar

January 1, 2003

No Student Left Unsold

Research Brief

Alex Molnar

January 1, 2003

Public Schooling for Profit

Legacy Publication

May 26, 2002

Salem-Keizer School District and Pepsi Pouring Rights

Legacy Publication

Alex Molnar

January 1, 2002

The Corporate Branding of Our Schools

Legacy Publication

Alex Molnar

January 1, 2002

Commercializing Schools: A Threat to Our Children's Health

Legacy Publication

Alex Molnar

January 1, 2002

What's in a Name? The Corporate Branding of America's Schools

Research Brief

Alex Molnar

January 1, 2002

Corporate Involvement in Schools: Time for a More Critical Look

Legacy Publication

Alex Molnar

January 1, 2001

Buy Me! Buy Me!

Legacy Publication

Alex Molnar and Joseph A. Reaves

January 1, 2001

Companies and Organizations Involved in Schoolhouse Commercializing Activities

Legacy Publication

Alex Molnar

January 1, 2001

Buy Me! Buy Me!

Research Brief

Alex Molnar and Joseph A. Reaves

January 1, 2001

Commercials as Curriculum

Legacy Publication

Alex Molnar and Jennifer Morales

October 5, 2000

Looking for Funds in All the Wrong Places

Policy Brief

Alex Molnar

January 1, 2000

Commercialism@School.com

Research Brief

Jennifer Morales and Alex Molnar

January 1, 2000

ZapMe! Linking Schoolhouse and Marketplace in a Seamless Web

Legacy Publication

Alex Molnar

January 1, 2000

Colonizing Our Future: The Commercial Transformation of America's Schools

Legacy Publication

Alex Molnar

January 1, 2000

The Commercial Transformation of American Public Education

Legacy Publication

Alex Molnar

January 1, 1999

Integrating the Schoolhouse and the Marketplace: A Preliminary Assessment of the Emerging Role of Electronic Technology

Legacy Publication

Alex Molnar

January 1, 1999

Cashing in on Kids

Research Brief

Alex Molnar

January 1, 1999

The Hidden Costs of Channel One: Estimates for the 50 States

Research Brief

Max B. Sawicky and Alex Molnar

January 1, 1998