By Sandy Thacker Webster Elementary parent
Can you hear me now? Can you hear me now? Now? Now? In reading Superintendent Deasy’s first revision of the equity fund policy, I am reminded of the cellular ad on T.V. The distinct difference is that out there in the wilderness, someone actually does hear. It has been well established that one of the biggest problems with Mr. Deasy’s original policy was that it was arbitrarily created without consulting the community, or as one person recently articulated, his customers. How many thousands of hours are going to be spent going ‘round and ‘round on this issue according to Mr. Deasy’s agenda? I know my time could be spent more productively … wouldn’t Mr. Deasy’s and the School Board’s as well?
Mr. Deasy’s revised policy is now a three-tiered effort. First, the mandatory 15 percent tax on all donations. (No revision there … can you hear me now?) Second, there will be a committee of parent volunteers to raise money for the same fund. This committee would be modeled after Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation’s “For the Arts” committee. Third, a “sister school” program would be established to share fundraising successes. The revision also exempts non-monetary gifts from the fund and offers a paltry incentive (2 percent per $100,000 raised) in the form of a sliding scale.
Does Mr. Deasy actually believe that after imposing the demotivating, demoralizing first stage of the plan (15 percent tax), that “his customers” will even be around for the voluntary second and third stages? It seems to me that real results are not the main objective here, that the primary goal is to control the money.
Several school board members, after hearing public comment at their most recent meeting, expressed interest in trying a voluntary approach first. In addition, documentation of specific needs at each site was requested. Mr. Deasy’s revision disregards the comments of his customers and his superiors, and should not be introduced as another three-month exercise in futility and animosity.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 19, 2004. Read the original PDF.