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adbusters

April 27, 2012

Latest skeptic of teachers unions is clothing label’s city billboard

by Rachel Cromidas, at 2:18 pm

This spring, the West Side Highway’s typical advertising fare also includes a political message that seems aimed at teachers unions.

A billboard advertising Kenneth Cole — the clothing company owned by Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s brother-in-law — puns to southbound commuters, ”Shouldn’t Everyone Be Well Red?” In smaller lettering, the billboard says, “Teachers’ Rights Vs. Students’ Rights …”

The second line evokes a tension drawn out repeatedly by some critics of teachers unions, including Cuomo, who say that unions’ support for teachers’ job protections can stand in the way of students’ education.

The billboard also invites viewers to visit WhereDoYouStand.com, a website maintained by the city-based company, to weigh in on “Issue in the News.” This spring, one of the issues is “Should underperforming teachers be protected?”

That question attracted the company’s attention this winter, as media attention turned to efforts underway across the country to toughen teacher evaluations. Locally, a breakdown in negotiations over evaluations late last year and the controversial public release of reports on teacher performance in February were both accompanied by criticism of teachers unions, including from Cuomo.

“We heard people talking about it in the news,” said an official in Kenneth Cole’s public affairs department who declined to give her name but said she worked on the ad campaign.

“It’s something in the news and being debated, and we wanted to provide a forum where people could discuss it as well,” said the spokeswoman, who added that the billboard is meant to tap into ongoing public discussions, not to attack unions. The ad went up March 14 and is the only one advertising Kenneth Cole in the city, she said.

Education policy positions are hardly common fodder for clothing ads. But Kenneth Cole Productions is known for its advocacy campaigns about pollution, homelessness, and other social concerns, and sometimes the messages address timely political issues. Last year the same Manhattan billboard featured a pro-same-sex marriage message, coinciding with its legalization in New York State.

Kenneth Cole’s three daughters attended private schools; his youngest is currently a senior at a Westchester County private school. The designer is married to Maria Cuomo, whose brother is Gov. Cuomo.

A screenshot from a Kenneth Cole web site, featuring the billboard and posing a question related to union politics.

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  • Follow the Money

    Oops. My Kenneth Cole shirt just accidentally fell in the garbage.

  • http://twitter.com/Ess_Dog Shaun Richman

    Boycott.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=805913153 Rob Galgano

    Why can’t students and teachers BOTH have rights? This is not a zero-sum game.

  • reality-based educator

    During the social unrest in Egypt, Kenneth Cole tweeted the following:

    “Millions are in uproar in #Cairo. Rumor is they heard our new spring collection is now available online at http://bit.ly/KCairo -KC”

    Ah, yes – people dying in the streets to win their freedom and this guy is using the unrest as an advertising opportunity.

    Says all you need tpo know about Kenneth Cole.

    And it also undercuts whatever this company is saying about teachers unions or students.

    Remember, it’s ALWAYS about selling for these guys.

    Always.

    LINK:
    http://www.upi.com/News_Photos/Entertainment/Social-Media-Scandals/5219/6/

  • Bring it on!

    The never ending pounding of the profession is becoming debilitating in the classroom and personally. The kids have never been better or smarter, they are NOT failures or failing, and in fact may be the brightest ever. How does telling them their schools suck, their teachers suck, they can’t pass tests, and stripping their music, chorus, plays ,gym, etc etc etc help them. When you go to war against children as the reformers and politicians have it is time to read the Declaration of Independence and remember the part about overthrowing a corrupt and unaccountable government.

  • ASTRAKA

    Should sleazy advertisers advertise?
    Should Gothamschools exercise some journalistic integrity? 

  • Michael M. (parent still)

    False choice. 
    Choosing non-Kenneth Cole products?  EASY choice.

    If the slogan was “Mayoral Interests vs. Students’ Interests,” I’d buy a whole new wardrobe.

  • SickofBloomberg

    Maybe we need to reopen the discussion of Worker’s Rights, Child Labor, Fair Compensation, Corporate Tax Liability???  Shall I continue???

  • SickofBloomberg

    Well said!!!

  • Vote NO!

    I   will  never  buy  anything ” Kenneth  Cole”  again.

  • http://twitter.com/rratto rratto

    Kenneth Cole the clothier for the 1%

  • http://mywikibiz.com/Directory:Jon_Awbrey Jon Awbrey

    “Should underperforming teachers be protected?”

    Innocent till proven guilty much?

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Dave-Russell/1642988753 Dave Russell

    This billboard is obscene on so many levels. The image is
    degrading to women and teachers and offends the sensibilities of reasonable
    people. Cole blatantly continues teacher bashing by pitting some imaginary sets
    of rights against each other His subliminal propaganda is clear. Cole wants
    the viewer to connect the ideas that this overly sexual obscene woman
    is somehow violating students touching on every parent’s greatest fears – child
    sexual abuse. His reckless publicity is an affront to students, teachers,
    schools, communities and especially, women.  Our indignation is
    righteous! This crossed the line. We who are offended by this should gather
    your frustration and spread the news. Cole is doing to teachers in America what
    Goebbels did to Jews in Germany.  He is doing the equivalent of
    inciting a riot. And the majority of sheeple won’t even realize his tactics. Shame
    on Kenneth Cole! TAKE A STAND AGAINST THIS BILLBOARD – go to WhereDoYouStand.com.
    Skew this poll: Vote yes on the question “Should Underperforming Teachers
    Be Protected.”

  • Kemerait

     kenneth asshole Cole needs some HIV in his life

  • http://twitter.com/TeacherSabrina Sabrina Stevens

    They’re trying to bait us into a false argument. Bad teachers shouldn’t be in classrooms– but if we do away with due process rights as they’re advocating, we’ll have no way of knowing who was bad and who was good but treated unfairly before they were fired (“innocent until proven guilty”).

    Don’t let them paint us as supporting bad teachers. We don’t. Let’s demand that they apologize and take down the billboard for unfairly attacking all of us.
    http://signon.org/s/jaoblp

  • Pogue

    “Bad teachers” is a “bad term”.  Don’t believe the hype.

  • Laureenhunt0029

    Wow! That’s like saying do you want to hang them or drown them? Bring it corporate America! We’re with children all day, so we can handle your bad behavior with our eyes closed.

  • Mr. Flerporillo

    Or as Maimonides might have said if he were alive and tenured:  It is better and more satisfactory to employ a thousand incompetent persons than to terminate a single competent one.  

  • Anonymous

    Being a clothing designer certainly makes you an expert on education.  So does being a governor or a mayor.  Right???

  • Ahenry524

    Sing it with me…
    Look for the union label

    When you are buying a coat, dress or blouse.
    Remember somewhere our union’s sewing
    our wages going to feed the kids and run the house,
    We work hard but who’s complaining.
    Thanks to the I.L.G. we’re paying our way.
    So, always look for the union label,
    it says we’re able
    to make it in the U.S.A. 

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1494055191 Stacy Schlappi

    Goodbye Kenneth Cole!

  • Hallimos

    Teachers who know how to shop will NOT shop at Kenneth Cole!

  • Cygnets

    When you take care of the teachers (professional salaries, benefits, and respect), they take care of the students.  Everybody wins.  Let me guess this company does not have a union shop in it either.

  • singingalldaylong

    Boycott Kenneth Cole!

  • Trahub

    How much you want to bet that communists in China make Kenneth Cole clothing.
    So, who is really the patriotic American!

  • Concern

    Wonder where Kenneth Cole clothes are made? Do the workers there have good working conditions? Fair pay? Maybe he should worry about that instead.

  • http://www.facebook.com/donna.mace Donna Yates Mace

     Many things can wait. Children cannot. Today their bones are being formed, their blood is being made, their senses are being developed. To them we cannot say “tomorrow.” Their name is today. – Gabriela Mistral (Chilean teacher 1899 – 1957)Wear RED (but NOT Kenneth Cole) every Tuesday to show your support of PUBLIC EDUCATION!https://www.facebook.com/WearRed4PublicEd#

  • Charlotte

    As a member of my teacher’s union said, “I believe that my union fights for not only the rights of my working conditions, but also the environment of my students’ learning conditions. One cannot be separated from the other.”

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Caroline-Grannan/557966486 Caroline Grannan

    Do they figure that teachers can’t afford their line anyway, so might as well kick them in the teeth? 

  • Andrew Peruzzini

    It’s really not the issue. Anyway, this insanity is falsely creating underperforming teachers and then hanging them for underperforming. What is it going to take for people to see how this cynical assault on public education is a plan to cheat the public out of their own public school systems? BTW there IS no real crisis in education in this country, at least as defined by our ability to adequately train enough highly-functioning individuals who will be able to populate the jobs necessary to keep America “free”. SMH

  • Anonymous

    There is a Kenneth Cole outlet store within walking distance of me, so now I know not to walk in there anymore and buy stuff. Thanks for the info.

  • http://twitter.com/momactivist Miriam Cutelis

    this is repulsive. Teachers and teacher unions are NOT the enemy. Testing companies making millions in testing our kids are the enemy, schools districts churning out older experienced teachers for new Teach for America teachers that only want to teach for 2 years because they are cheaper and easy to control is the problem. Shame on you kenneth Cole for jumping on the wagon of teacher bashing. 

  • Pogue

    “a thousand incompetent persons” = I agree, but I don’t think there are that many running the DOE. 

    It’s more like a few hundred.  Though, the number has gone up through the years because you can never have enough deputy chancellors, consultants, and network people, right?

    Who gets screwed?   Children First.

  • Sueado

    I am sending this message to Kenneth Cole online: (http://www.kennethcole.com/helpdesk/index.jsp?stillHaveQuestion=yes&subdisplay=contact&display=store)
     
    Dear Kenneth Cole:

    I just read an article online (http://gothamschools.org/2012/04/27/latest-skeptic-of-teachers-unions-is-a-clothing-labels-city-billboard/#.T5xyt8bhf18.twitter) about your company’s ad campaign in NY that implies teachers and students should be pit against each other and that teachers’ unions protect underperforming teachers.  This saddens me to no end.  I’m a veteran teacher who is so tired of the public demonization of teachers and was surprised to see that your company is joining this bandwagon.  

    I have long bought Kenneth Cole products because of the quality and style you offer, and I have also liked that your company does take public stands on important social issues, but this campaign is something I would not have expected your company to be involved in. Unfortunately, you have lost a long-time, loyal customer with this ad campaign.

  • Tlawniczak

    When did educators become the cause of all our country’s problems?

  • Deb

    I will NEVER EVER EVER buy Kenneth Cole AGAIN!!! God help us when corporations start acting like political entities.

  • Erynn

    Bye. Bye Kenneth cole. Your attempts to pit one group against another will not work. We are cioming. All of us.

  • Loretta Prisco

    If those who conceptualized this ad spent one hour in the classroom, they would undoubtedly know that good working conditions are good learning conditions.

  • Michael M. (parent still)

    Suggestion for placards at next PEP meeting:

    “Shouldn’t everyone be SEEING red?”

  • Michael M. (parent still)

    I’ve been trying to figure out how to reconcile Kenneth Cole’s support for gay marriage with his attack on teachers.

    As different as the two topics are, at the heart of each is a question of equal rights and equal protection under the law. 

    Imagine the uproar had KC bought into a shameful political meme of the recent past, and juxtaposed gay rights with children’s rights?

  • Michael M. (parent still)

    Or as Maimonides might have said if he were alive and setting policy at DOE (and let’s get real, that’s the mayor, not the chancellor):  Better to burn down the house than curse the darkness of our education legacy.

  • Mhmbb

    I think it is time we look into this matter…it is VERY telling when the spokesperson in this article doesn’t giver her name…

  • Mhmbb

    It is time to check that out, isn’t it?  It is VERY telling when the spokesperson won’t give her name….hope they are ready for a bumpy ride!

  • Mhmbb

    Boycott is happening here…what rot!

  • La Chatte

    FU, Kenneth Cole. You are obviously lacking in the education department because if you weren’t, you’d understand that NEA is the biggest union in the country and influences a whole lot of parents and kids WHO WILL BOYCOTT YOUR (UGLY) CLOTHES.

  • anoninD2

    flerporillo = genious

  • Cwiegenstein

    If teachers where in any other field they would be fired in the first week. I have tought and quit because the unions promote based on seniority and not performance.

  • Lkrueger23

    I have to disagree with you on both points.  I am in my 9th year of teaching and every year at least 95% of my students pass our state assessment; yet, last year I was fired based on “program reductions”.  Neither my seniority nor my student’s performance was taken into account.  Only for the fact that we have a strong union and parental support was I reinstated.  So perhaps the reason you left after a year says more about you than about the teaching profession.

  • Mr. Flerporillo

    i’m certainly more than just one “o” away from genius. 

  • lkrueger23

    The idea that teachers are being pitted against students is ridiculus.  No other profession would allow for this type of situation.  Do doctor’s get paid based on their patient’s evaluation of them?  Does the bank teller ask you to fill out a survey that will effect their salary?  Do the politician’s that make the laws that tie teacher’s hands provide a questionnaire for their constituants?  No!  So why should a teacher’s salary be based on whether the student’s like them?  My job as a teacher is to ensure that the students infront of me acheive the highest level of academic success they can.

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