Incentivizing Equality Through Educational Expenditures

School district business practices are rarely examined for their impact on the school’s educational mission. However, institutional purchasing brings school districts into direct contact with corporate partners whose employment practices contradict the school’s mission for equity, mobility, and social equality. Too often districts fail to question their support for narrow business interests, and even less frequently do school systems challenge corporate practices that preserve the inequitable barriers facing families and the children schools serve. This article shines a spotlight on the ways that school districts—perhaps unintentionally—contribute to a system of social and economic inequality, and proposes that private companies wishing to do business with schools first demonstrate a commitment to employment practices centered on equitable salaries and benefits. Such a standard will favor business partnerships that support the overall educational mission, and will make a powerful statement supporting families, children, and society at large.