Starbucks 101

California's budget crisis has claimed many victims. Among them: taxpayers, the homeless and students. The state's education budget has taken a huge hit, resulting in teacher layoffs and furloughs and forcing community colleges to turn away students. Now, the chancellor at the City College of San Francisco thinks he has an idea to raise dollars.

Chancellor Don Griffin first told the San Francisco Chronicle about a plan to allow sponsors to donate $6,000 for the right to name — and more importantly, save — 800 classes that were scheduled to be canceled this year due to budget cuts. The plan would make up $5 million of the school's projected $25 million budget gap next year.

Of course there are those that oppose the idea: What will our students learn from a class sponsored by beer brands like Bud Light or tobacco companies like Philip Morris? Finance sponsored by Citigroup? Nutrition 101 brought to you by McDonald's? There are many reasons to be skeptical, but for many teachers on the front lines of the educational budget crisis, the move is pragmatic — and necessary.