As funding for public education decreases, corporations are "making up" the shortfall by donating seemingly benign teaching aides to schools. While many business-school relationships are positive, many others are commercializing classrooms, aiming to make students "brand-loyal" in the guise of providing free equipment, more information, and new interactive curricula. Some students and parents view the increasing commercialization of public education masked as educational curricula as a form of exploitation and created an organization called UNPLUG to demonstrate their opposition to the "corporate buy-out" of public education. This guide for parents provides information on the increasing presence of businesses in the public school system and shows parents how to inform themselves and others about commercialism in school, educate and activate communities about the issue of commercialism, and organize to create commercial-free schools. Part 1, "Background," discusses the defunding of public education, the source of increasing commercialism in schools, sources of educational funding, how businesses can support schools in a nonexploitative manner, and lists concise arguments for and against commercialism in schools. Part 2, "What You Can Do," gives step-by-step suggestions for activities to help parents work effectively against commercialism in schools, including activities to become informed, activate or educate others, organize parents and other citizens, and become effective advocates. The guide concludes with a list of suggestions to create commercial-free schools. An appendix provides a list of organizational resources and sample documents, such as surveys, resolutions, press releases, and policy frameworks for school boards. (KB)