Disease Proof

In December we learned that a school district in Florida was allowing McDonald’s to advertise on report cards. ParentDish was on it:

In Seminole County, Florida, McDonald's is doing their part to help ensure kids get good grades. They've agreed to give kids a free happy meal if they get good grades. It says so right there on the report card envelope. Wait, what? Yep, you heard that right. McDonald's has arranged to put their ad offering free food for good grades on the envelope the school district uses to send report cards home.


In exchange for putting their ad, complete with a picture of a Happy Meal, on the envelopes, McDonald's paid for the printing of the report cards. Sounds like a fair deal, eh? Actually, it sounds like a great deal for McDonald's -- reaching 27,000 kindergarten through fifth-grade students for next to nothing.

Luckily some concerned parents prevailed. McDonald’s has announced that it will stop putting its logo on report card envelopes. ParentDish is back on it:

Susan Pagan, a parent in the district, said that her nine-year-old daughter came home with her report card, wanting a happy meal. Pagan noted that "our family does not eat at fast food chains," when she told her no. "And, now I'm the bad guy," she added.


Interestingly, McDonald's chose to pull the ads, rather than the school district. According to McDonald's spokesman Bill Whitman, "It was McDonald's decision to remove our trademarks from report card jackets in Seminole County, Florida, because we believe the focus should be on the importance of a good education. McDonald's, not the school district, will cover the cost to reprint the report card jackets."

So where was the focus before Whitman made this statement? Anyway, kudos to Pagan and the rest of parents that took a stand!