“Kids Count!”

was a cozy bumpersticker adhered to a metal fine cabinet in my first classroom.

My first thought was- geese, I sure hope kids can count by the time they get to high school- 1,2,3,… (ha)

My second thought was promising.  Kids count, meaning kids matter.  I agree, but became disillusioned after teaching for 29.4 years. I believed schools were designed to help kids and society. Naive of me.

I believe kids count for a labour force. Used for profits.

Here is an example. I once stumbled upon a memorable quote by a tobacco representative: 

“They got lips? We want them.”

This was the answer given to Terrence Sullivan, sales representative for R.J. Reynolds, when he asked the company which young people they were targeting — junior high kids or even younger? R.J. Reynolds, 1990 https://the84.org/get-the-facts/tobacco-executive-quotes/. 

Kids are a highly marketed tool and today is October 1st.  Schools yearly “head count”.  Teachers are encouraged to give ‘incentives’ to keep kids at school.  More kids counted = more money.  Simple. No field trips, no tests, nothing too strenuous to discourage attendance, even illness. 

From colleges to AP classes; from chrome books to data collecting- Kids count. They account for big profits for big BM’s (business management styles)!  Kids have data? BM’s want them!