What do those issues have in common? Little more than controversy.

At one extreme are proposals that big business actually own and operate our nation’s “public schools.”

At the other are the anonymous (or nearly so) generous contributions from civic minded individuals and businesses.

Lump them together as “commercialism in schools” and the issues analysis resembles spilled mercury on a lab table.

The issues include, beyond businesses owning “public” schools, such things as charter schools and vouchers.

Business executives contributing insights to education advisory panels. Schools that use business’ “best practices” (like our board’s adoption of John Carver’s principles).

Schools as $350 billion “customers” that buy sophisticated equipment – and simple supplies.

Businesses that use students to sell products, like Girl Scout cookies, or encourage product sales with “gifts” to schools for proof of purchase.

If an exclusive Coke contract brings in money, how much more could we get by renaming a couple schools “Toys R Us Elementary” or “Nike High”?

There’s teaching about commercialism. Building children’s sophistication about propaganda, mass media and advertising. Intelligent consumer behavior. The implications of conspicuous consumption as lifestyle.

But let’s start with citizens’ and businesses’ generous gifts. Who could possibly object to parents’ contributing money for playground equipment or computers at their kids’ elementary school?

Those concerned about equity, that’s who. Are we serious about bridging the “achievement gap” between the children of upper socio-economic-class parents and those less fortunate? If so, the private money, equipment and volunteer time that goes into the public schools disproportionately attended by already-advantaged children just widens that gap.

Should such gifts be discouraged? Of course not. But they do raise this unexpected issue.

Education is a $350 billion non-profit business. That doesn’t mean there aren’t profits to be made by someone. Schools buy everything from school buses to supplies.

Those issues involve school districts’ proper business practices: competitive bidding, effective auditing. Proposals to “outsource” services (such as our buses and lawn care) raise quality, cost, staff and union issues.

There’s doing business with education, and doing the business of education.

Many parents prefer private schools, such as Regina, operating alongside the public system. The Amish opt out altogether. Home schooling now involves over one million children.

Want a real controversy? Start talking about vouchers.

Charter schools are a hybrid. Parents may organize a private school, with public money, but run it independently. There are now for-profit chains of such schools, such as the National Heritage Academies (37 schools with 15,000 students).

Don’t forget the money made from tutoring, like Sylvan Learning Systems.

Or the private coaching in everything from music (Iowa City’s Preucil School of Music) to sports (gymnastics and martial arts).

What about executives as educational advisors? School districts can learn much from the nation’s top business executives and management experts. We can improve schools’ efficiency and focus. Is there a downside? Perhaps.

Such executives are mostly well intentioned. But there’s an unconscious agenda. Business has to train millions of new employees in basic math and writing skills.

That costs money.

If taxpayers will pay public schools to do it, stockholders won’t have to.

That’s what “Work Keys” is about. Students and schools more focused on the skills business needs. That’s been one of education’s goals since the days of J. Abner Peddiwell’s The Saber Tooth Curriculum. But it’s not the only one, nor the one most teachers think most important.

Surely teaching about commercialism raises no problems. Right. No more than teaching about religion. Because it is a kind of religion.

And what Ralph Nader thinks our students need to know in an age when “what you don’t know can kill you” is different from what the networks and clothing manufacturers want us to teach.

Commercialism in our schools. Many issues. Many points of view. Each valid in its own way. It’s a question of values. Your values. Our values as a community.

My only hope as a School Board member is that the community will address these issues head on and decide where we stand. Because the alternative is commercialism creep, silent and unperceived.

It is a bit ironic that this all began with a Paul Revere pizza sign. For it was Paul Revere who shouted out the warning over 200 years ago that “the British are coming.” Now it is the corporations that are coming, right into our schools. In fact, they’re already here.

Nicholas Johnson is a member of the Iowa City School Board.