After forging what we thought was a wonderful end to the drumline drama, there was another intervention of some sort with no official explanation whatsoever. Sticks was given our check we wrote for the fees and told that drumline ‘wasn’t happening’. After hashing it out with him for awhile, I ended up sending this email (redacted to remove names). I meant every word. I will start shouting out to every source I can for outside support if this ends up being the case:
Dear Boosters,
Sticks came home tonight and returned my check for winter drumline with the vague explanation that it “wasn’t going to happen”. This came as quite a surprise to me, since I left Tuesday night’s meeting with the understanding that we were going forward as an independent group of combined students from area schools.
There has been no official explanation whatsoever, though I’ve heard vague ripples suggesting that the administration will not support this effort in any way and may have actually put an end to it (though I do not know this as fact). I will be requesting a meeting with [the school principal] tomorrow to ask for a full explanation of what has happened.
If, in fact, it is the administration who has put a stop to to this joint effort, I will expect an explanation and justification for that decision based upon the number of other intra-district endeavors which are not only allowed, but blessed by school administrators. Outside football teams practice on our field. Outside swim organizations use the pool. The drama club was permitted to use other school resources and facilities to put on their play last year and the year before, our football players celebrate invitations to participate on district all-star teams, nominees who pass Honor Band auditions use school instruments, facilities, staff and school time to participate in Honor band concerts, which are clearly exclusive (e.g., not open to all who apply, but those who qualify) as well as cross-district efforts sponsored by an outside organization (e.g. SCSBOA). Pulling the plug on an effort to put together an intradistrict drumline is nothing short of hypocritical, destructive, and sends exactly the wrong message to the kids who work the hardest.
Further, if I discover that the drumline has ended as a result of the administration’s withdrawal of the right for students to use instruments and rehearsal facilities, I will contact my Internet contacts and contacts at the Ventura County Star to ask to have a story published beseeching the community for donations to purchase instruments for kids who are motivated to create something good for their communities and their schools, with or without school support. I will go to the Boys and Girls club and beg for use of their facilities for rehearsals, if necessary.
For all of you who are concerned about school spirit, I can pretty much promise you that this kind of action kills it. Hard. Especially for those students who have made all kinds of sacrifices for their school and were hoping to spend their time seeing those sacrifices bring glory to their school. The truth is, the only losers here are our kids. The parents will not suffer. Only their kids will.
There’s still time to make that wrong right. I have a kid determined to make this happen, committed to seeing it happen, willing to sacrifice to see it happen. Should I just shrug and say “Oh well, too bad, move on”? He could move on and he will have other opportunities for success. But not for [his school]. This was the last chance. I’m sorry that the actions of a few threaten to bring it down for many, and sorrier still that good kids who are motivated, focused and gifted are being sent a message that they aren’t worthy of support for their efforts. They are ready to represent. Why are they meeting barriers instead of facilitators? Don’t we want to encourage self-motivated, hard-working kids who push hard toward a goal? I do.
Am I pissed? Why yes, I am.
Technorati Tags: drum corps, drumline, education, bureaucracy, parents behaving badly
