Saugus High School teachers in Massachusetts made local news after participating in a McTeacher night- or a two-hour event hosted at McDonalds where teachers got cooking to draw customers; 20 percent of all of profits that night were given to Saugus High School.

While the opportunity to see their teachers behind the line brought a lot of students and community members out that night in what seems like a positive community effort, many teachers’ unions have opposed the McTeacher Night.

In October last year, the Chicago Teachers’ Union, the National Education Association and over a dozen other organizations teamed up to write an open letter to McDonalds to ask for a cease-and-desist of the practice.

"It is wrong to enlist teachers to sell kids on a brand like McDonald's whose core products are burgers, fries, and soda. … McTeacher's Nights negate the good work of educators to create healthy food habits and environments in schools,” the letter said.

The groups referred to the practice as “exploitative” and argued that it violates the trust that students have for educators by encouraging them to buy an unhealthy product.

A McDonald’s spokesperson responded to the letter by citing that $2.5 million was donated to education from the events since January 2013.

Teachers who have participated in the events, like the Saugus High School teachers, have expressed gratitude for the opportunity.

"In these tight budget times educators are always on the lookout for ways to generate more funding to help students, [Saugus High School history teacher Rich] Lavoie said. He thanked McDonald’s for stepping up to the plate,” according to the Wicked Local.

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Article by Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor