Selling Ads on Tests and Quizzes
photo credit: billaday
Poway Unified School District in Southern California chose to trim the budget for materials instead of cutting staff. Unfortunately, this required teachers to use their own money, beg parents for funds or give fewer tests.
Not one to slack on pop quizzes, Calculus teacher Tom Farber has figured out a way around his school district’s budget cuts by selling advertising on his tests and quizzes. His customers are local businesses, like a mom and pop tuxedo rental shop that purchased an ad before prom.
Farber’s customers pay $10 for an ad on a quiz, $20 to be on a chapter test and $30 for a spot on a semester final. Some of the quotes, either personal ones or by famous people, are paid for by parents.
The messages must be appropriate and in good taste. Farber hasn’t received sponsorships from any major retailers or store chains, but he hasn’t ruled them out.
Is there a business opportunity in selling advertising on test and quizzes? You bet! If you could line up enough teachers in a geographic area, you could sell little ads for much more than $10 a quiz. You could have the advertising printed onto reams of otherwise blank copy paper that you’d then provide for free to the teachers for use when duplicating their tests.
Have you ever done anything like this? Last year, we interviewed someone doing something similar, but selling advertising in notebooks.
Jack Lite on January 19th, 2009 2:41 pm
This is an outstanding idea! Thanks for sharing it. I’d love to see more business opportunities like this one profiled.
SEO Software on January 20th, 2009 8:33 am
i thought this was a pretty cool idea when i heard about it. i mean, it’s not like it’s increasing his salary…it’s for the teaching budget. pretty rad
Business Note Buyer on January 20th, 2009 1:43 pm
A creative way to solve the budget problem. Hats off to you!
I wish all teachers were as insightful as Tom. He is the type of teacher I would want in my school district.
Angela on January 20th, 2009 3:00 pm
I love the idea but I wonder if it acts as a distraction for the kids while they are taking the test.
Jaclyn on January 22nd, 2009 2:31 pm
That is a great idea, but i too also agree with Angela and wonder if it will be a large distraction for the kid’s…cause let’s face it…kid’s have a way of distracting themselves already without having help from anyone else.
cassy on January 26th, 2009 2:41 am
good idea,keep up posting with a good information on business idea!
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