Desperate Times Create Advertising Innovation

I came across an article this week where a high school calculus teacher in California named Tom Farber came up with an innovative way to deal with budget cuts.  He decided to start advertising on quiz’s, tests and exams to help raise money to cover the printing costs.

So Farber, who says he’d never asked for money from parents in his 18 years of high school teaching, pitched the ad idea to parents at a September back-to-school night. For checks made to the math department — $10 a quiz, $20 a test or $30 for a final exam — they could insert an inspirational quote — their own or someone else’s — or a business advertisement at the bottom of the first page.

"Brace yourself for a great semester! Braces by Henry, Stephen P. Henry D.M.D.," read one of the ads in small type at the bottom of a quiz’s first page.

Innovative thinking and yet sad that he had to be put into this position to begin with.