Schauer Wants to Put Limits On Advertising Done By Charter Public Schools

Mark Schauer, the Democratic candidate for governor, told MLive that if he's elected he promises to limit how much charter public schools could spend on advertising.

The news site reported that "he also promised to limit advertising spending by for-profit operators."

Schauer reportedly was upset that a national charter management company spent $300,000 in advertising. He did not, however, promise to stop or restrict traditional public schools from advertising, which school districts across the state do.

In the summer of 2013, Milan Public Schools started an advertising campaign that it credits for increased enrollment. Milan Public Schools Superintendent Bryan Girbach said unions pitched in to pay for half the cost of the advertising.

Ann Arbor Public Schools spent $15,000 on billboard advertising and $10,000 advertising its school district in print publications in 2014, said district spokeswoman Liz Margolis.

"Parents need to know what their options are when it comes to choosing the right school for their child, so it's entirely appropriate to advertise those choices — whatever type of school it is," said Dan Quisenberry, president of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies. "Plenty of traditional public schools advertise to parents, as well, and that's great. In the case of National Heritage Academies, they offer a high-quality educational choice, and I'm sure parents appreciate being informed about that choice. Why would you want to prohibit parents from being informed about their choices?"

Officials from Schauer's campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

(Correction: The headline and subhead on this story have been changed. The Schauer campaign did not respond to questions about whether his comments created a double standard in regard to advertising, which the previously headline implied.)