Controversy Over Scholastic Sponsorships Goes Beyond Coal
Amidst heavy criticism over a "pro-coal" teaching tool called "The United States of Energy," Scholastic Corporation announced in a statement released May 13, that it will discontinue distribution of the controversial education materials.
In the statement, Scholastic acknowledged that there were problems with its sponsorship policy, which allows nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and corporations to produce material that is then distributed to teachers:
"The United States of Energy" was the result of a partnership between Scholastic and American Coal Foundation(ACF), a nonprofit that provides resources to teachers in an effort to educate young students about coal as a
In the statement, Scholastic acknowledged that there were problems with its sponsorship policy, which allows nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and corporations to produce material that is then distributed to teachers:
"We acknowledge that the mere fact of sponsorship may call into question the authenticity of the information, and therefore conclude that we were not vigilant enough as to the effect of sponsorship in this instance ... Because we have always been guided by our belief that we can do better, we are undertaking a thorough review of our policy and editorial procedures on sponsored content, and we will publish only those materials which are worthy of our reputation as 'the most trusted name in learning.'"
"The United States of Energy" was the result of a partnership between Scholastic and American Coal Foundation(ACF), a nonprofit that provides resources to teachers in an effort to educate young students about coal as a