Steel drums issue
Y'all may have seen the article on KING 5 about SPD being called during a dispute over ownership of school instruments. If not, it's here: http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_061909WAB-spd-school-instruments-KS.7b12546.html.
The Summit K-12 Parent Group has been working for the past couple of months toward dissolving as a non-profit, and that includes accounting for all properties, some of which are steel drums - for which paperwork exists. Numerous attempts have been made to achieve resolution on this subject, and at one point, we were told by the District that "anything loaned to a school to use is the property of the District unless you have paperwork to prove that it was only on loan, and the District doesn't have to prove ownership at all." Since then, we have provided our documentation regarding the purchase of the instruments (not all of the drums - some are the District's, and some belong to the teacher, and some are property of a former Summit principal) as well as writing out which instruments belong to whom and what's going to be done with them, up to and including the return of the instruments determined to belong to the former principal.
The Parent Group's oh-so-nefarious plan for the instruments is to donate them to Ochiama, another non-profit, who currently has pending contracts with SPS (waiting for the arrival of the drums, of course) for teaching steel drum to SPS students. We have signed over our interest in the drums to them, so we may continue our dissolution process appropriately, and they do have a lawyer and will be determining if a lawsuit is in order. Who else has a lawyer, I don't know, although I'd hazard a guess that the former principal does, and we know the District has a legal team.
While I am interested in the outcome of this, I am also glad we are not tied up in what could well become yet another long, drawn-out process. It saddens me that the police had to be called to witness the actions of the District in not allowing the music teacher to take his own instruments out of the building. He chose to call them so that this is an event that won't just "disappear" because of its languishing in the mothballs until interest is lost. This happened in the middle of the morning, if that late, so I know many many students saw it.
Thought y'all might like to know a bit more about it.
Cheers,
Sabia
The Summit K-12 Parent Group has been working for the past couple of months toward dissolving as a non-profit, and that includes accounting for all properties, some of which are steel drums - for which paperwork exists. Numerous attempts have been made to achieve resolution on this subject, and at one point, we were told by the District that "anything loaned to a school to use is the property of the District unless you have paperwork to prove that it was only on loan, and the District doesn't have to prove ownership at all." Since then, we have provided our documentation regarding the purchase of the instruments (not all of the drums - some are the District's, and some belong to the teacher, and some are property of a former Summit principal) as well as writing out which instruments belong to whom and what's going to be done with them, up to and including the return of the instruments determined to belong to the former principal.
The Parent Group's oh-so-nefarious plan for the instruments is to donate them to Ochiama, another non-profit, who currently has pending contracts with SPS (waiting for the arrival of the drums, of course) for teaching steel drum to SPS students. We have signed over our interest in the drums to them, so we may continue our dissolution process appropriately, and they do have a lawyer and will be determining if a lawsuit is in order. Who else has a lawyer, I don't know, although I'd hazard a guess that the former principal does, and we know the District has a legal team.
While I am interested in the outcome of this, I am also glad we are not tied up in what could well become yet another long, drawn-out process. It saddens me that the police had to be called to witness the actions of the District in not allowing the music teacher to take his own instruments out of the building. He chose to call them so that this is an event that won't just "disappear" because of its languishing in the mothballs until interest is lost. This happened in the middle of the morning, if that late, so I know many many students saw it.
Thought y'all might like to know a bit more about it.
Cheers,
Sabia
Comments
I am sorry that the district is being so disrespectful of your school. You would think they would have some sensitivity given the situation.
I do not know the policies involved, but it was common knowledge at our elementary that things the PTSA purchased became district property. So when the PTSA bought computers for classrooms, it was a running joke not to let central office know about it in case they wanted them to upgrade JSC.
Instrumental music was limited to students who could afford to rent instruments, and interest was difficult to maintain with awareness that the program did not continue through upper grades.
With the assignment of Ms Wiley to Summit, she began a steel drum program, with her own drums brought from the Shoreline district . This program was especially embraced by students who had wished for a program in the middle/high school. Over the years the school needed to expand their collection, although they have had to piece together instruction and instruments from outside the district to continue the program.
It is abhorrent to me, that the district refuses to acknowledge the dedication of the Summit community over the past few decades to improve offerings to students despite lack of district support. ( in particular this instance seems quite ironic- when Civic Light Opera, left the SUmmit building, they took much of the equipment required to run the theatre, since the district did not have adequate inventory lists of what was CLO and what was SPS, the Summit community was again forced to find/fund their own equipment to run the school)
I guess it is true that no matter how bad the superintendent is, the current one makes you look back fondly. I shudder to think of the superintendent that will make us long for G-J. although in comparision, even Olchefske doesn't seem that bad.
If my kids hadn't already aged out of K-12 education- this would have been the final straw.
However, in the case of Nova, the District is refusing to pay for the move of most of Nova's school furniture - couches etc used by the students instead of traditional desks and chairs...
These items were donated/purchased by parents/friends and are core/essential to the 'alternative' character of the school and how students approach learning and relationship-building...
If my understanding of the information provided to me is correct, the District wont move them, nor will it pay to replace them, partly on the grounds that they are not District property....
This reminds me of "the world as seen by a two year old"
If I want it- it is mine
If I used to have something like it it is mine
If I don't want you to have it it is mine
To clarify the confusion over the lights/sound equipment at Jane Addams, it wasn't just that the district had no record of what belonged to SPS in the auditorium, but that the Addams equipment that apparently had been mothballed while CLO installed outside fixtures had been lost track of in the district warehouses
The District is only required to move its own property. Even then, they don't have to move it if they don't want to. Recall the Global Tech issues at Garfield a few years ago right before they moved to the Lincoln site......
And, they do not have to replace privately owned equipment or other personal property. That would be gifting like Ananda said.
You are right they are not consistent. Regardless, once they start down that path, they can get in trouble. So, they should not be moving anyone's personal equipment/property.
The District opted to move Nova, not close or restructure it. As such, it would be reasonable to believe that the elements of the program that make it uniquely Nova, would be moved. Art, garden/greenhouse, music equipment, bicycles, refrigerators, furnishings... The thinking that limits "curricular materials" to items that fit in a 3'x 2' box (for which 2' of tape is allotted)- is thinking that is dead set on standardization, does not recognize or honor the importance of environment, autonomy, student identity/empowerment... So- the cost of moving Nova is being shouldered in great part by staff and families- with the hope that this move is just a move, not an end to the program. I understand your point, but find the "don't start down that potentially complicated path" pov shortsighted.
As to the Summit steel drum issue, I do hope the rightful owners of the drums can take possession without too much struggle. It's frustrating that the district does not have to show ownership, or purchase records, and by default has possession. Regardless, I hope Summit students grow into the music programs they find at their new schools.
Someone mentioned PTSA donations on another thread- I thought that items purchased/owned by PTSA could be loaned to individual schools, and remain the property of the organization? Anyone have experience here?
On the other hand, McGilvra's PTSA does own its portable as they bought it and have some sort of leasing agreement with the district.
There are detailed instructions in the PTSA handbooks and training sessions to clarify that. I attended the leadership training last September. There was a whole part of the agenda devoted to "Do you own that popcorn machine you bought or does the school? Should you own it or should you donate it?" With the pro and con of each. I don't remember the details though, since it wasn't pertinent to me. Unfortunately, I do think that ownership is more complicated than proving that you purchased it. The personal property of the teacher ought to be handled differently though. Gotta say, in that position, I would not have waited until the end of the year to remove my personal property from the building. Too risky that something just like this would happen.
One reason to be part of the PTSA, perhaps, and definitely a reason to attend the training sessions and read the booklets they provide. But alas, how many of us consider the possibility that our school would be closed in such a fashion? Hard to make decisions regarding such an unlikely and sad event.
I guess that in order to avoid having these things become district property the moment they enter the school educators should keep itemized lists and receipts of all materials that are theirs, personally, in case the program closes or moves...
That said, I can see Ananda's point: The stuff is in a district building, which sort of makes the district responsible for ascertaining ownership. What if three people claim ownership? I smell lawsuits.
Of course, this is probably rarely a problem, but as soon as some litigious, amoral SOB tries to take home stuff that isn't theirs, bring on the lawyers.
You mention a need to move NOVA materials...if there a work party arranged where a person could come help? I'd love to lend a hand (for Nova or any other program facing this moving dilemna...
I'm just sayin'.......
And while I appreciate the offer of other parents to help with the move, the teachers only got 2 or 3 days to complete the full move. The district is going to lock the buildings (today or tomorrow) and not let anyone in. So it was move it (in a hurry and store it yourself) or lose it.