The commodification of writing in secondary schools
I noticed this poster hanging on a sign at a local area HS last fall, and it has been bothering me ever since. I suspect there are lots of posters and signs out there, all of which has lead me to a project of looking at the visual rhetoric of commodification and learning in K-12 education.
I think the image speaks for itself.
Of course, what is most interesting is that the reason to learn is tied to an ability to get money, therefore the ability to write well becomes a commodity that can later be sold and bought on the open job market.
It's little wonder why incoming university students believe with conviction that the sole reason schools exist is to prepare them to get a job that pays well. They simply cannot fathom any other reason for school.