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Career Q&A: Grant Snafu

I applied for and received a technology grant for my art classes. But my principal says core departments are in greater need, and she will decide where to use the money.

By  Suzanne Tingley
  • Grades:
    Grades 1–2, Grades 3–5, Grades 6–8, Grades 9–12

Q: I applied for and received a technology grant for my art classes. But my principal says core departments are in greater need, and she will decide where to use the money.

Suzanne: How frustrating for you. While you must be disappointed, I would suggest setting aside those feelings for the moment and bringing to your principal’s attention the ethics involved in the situation.

First of all, it will help if you told your principal about your grant proposal before you applied, and got her on board from the start. If you didn’t, she may feel less committed to your proposal, but that doesn’t negate the fact that in your proposal you specified how the money would be used. The grant was awarded on that premise. To accept the funds and then use them differently, even for a good cause, is dishonest. In addition, most grantees are required to submit a follow-up report on how the funds were used. You cannot pretend that they were used for the art department when they weren’t, and you cannot compromise your own principles.

Finally, other departments are free to apply for grants, too, just like you did. They are not entitled to the fruits of your initiative.

These are arguments that you can present to your principal, and I hope she abandons the idea of usurping your grant. To do so would be unethical and would certainly deter other independent initiatives on the part of teachers in the future. 

  • Subjects:
    Funding and Grants, School Administration and Management
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