The mayor and school superintendent of Springfield, Mass., are currently trading jabs over the school system's planned hiring of a $60,000-per-year public relations officer. The mayor says other folks within the school administration should handle the position's planned duties, such as working with the news media and managing internal communications among Springfield schools. The mayor is joining with the teacher's union in saying the money for the position should be spent "within the classroom."

OK, I'll admit I haven't seen the itemized budget for the Springfield school system -- but the mayor's argument has a familiar, false ring to it. Besides sounding like a political play, the idea that money is better spent "within the classroom" is simplistic.

It's similar to a corporation where the leadership has no concept of marketing and thus believes all available dollars should be spent on "feet on the street" -- i.e., sales. This creates a big sales force -- but one with no unifying direction or support.

These are often the same companies that put the CEO's secretary in charge of PR -- with disastrous results.

Maybe I'm biased, but my advice to the folks in Springfield is to put politics aside and give the new PR guy (or gal) a chance.