NEWS!!!! On August 13, our local newspaper the Press Democrat in perhaps a moment of editorial distraction surprised it's readers by publishing actual news above the fold on the front page! The title of their piece, "Board endorses idea of corporate sponsors in SR schools" sums it up, so to speak. It seems that after starving California's public schools for decades, the school boards are turning to the one segment of society that still has cash to throw around.
Not satisfied to grab the naming rights for the many sports stadiums build or subsidized with public money, the corporations are now eager to stake their claim to our public schools. Soon our schools may sport names like Blackwater LL High School, Coca Cola Cafeteria,  Lockheed-Martin Science Lab, and maybe even The US Marine Corps Basketball Court and Enlistment Center.
Apparently, corporations are asking for nothing in return. They are simply happy to help schools in a time of need. It's also assumed that corporate fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders does not apply, and that no shareholder will sue due to this obvious misuse of funds.
A proposal: If we cut all funding for schools, we could use the funds to increase the corporate bailout. Because corporatons are so willing to provide for our schools, perhaps this is a better way to fund education than to tax ourselve directly. Yes, I said it. Tax! Such a dirty word. Much better to sell our souls and our schools to the highest bailed-out-bidder...
More Information

• http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090812/ARTICLES/908129822
• http://extracredit.blogs.pressdemocrat.com/10518/santa-rosa-school-board...