Do your kids' schools make it difficult to volunteer? - Page 2

[Kaitnbugsmom]

It's been standard procedure in our county for at least 5 years that to do anything in the buildings other than drop off/pick up your child or come to meet the teacher or conferences you have to submit to a background check. : Honestly it's no big deal to me, and sometimes I wonder if they actually conduct the check because more than one of the parents that has volunteered has a questionable past.

[chel]

dd's school relies heavily on parent volunteers. No requirements at all!

We can also bring home baked goods, too. So overall, very relaxed.

[mamazee]

We have to fill out a form authorizing a background check, but that's it. If they asked me to run all over town like that, I probably wouldn't volunteer.

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by Kaitnbugsmom

...sometimes I wonder if they actually conduct the check because more than one of the parents that has volunteered has a questionable past.

Depending on what you mean by "questionable", it probably wouldn't matter. I think they're really looking for child abuse/pedophilia type stuff with requirements like this.

I hate them. We don't have them in the schools (wouldn't matter to me if they did at this point, as the younger ones are homeschooling, and I really can't find any way to help out at the high school), but we had them with Cub Scouts. DH was a leader, and I was the group's Treasurer and Registrar. The checks were a PITA.

[2cutiekitties]

^^ what exactly do they do for a background check?

[Porcelain Interior]

I don't think the background checks are a PITA at all, at least not here. You fill out a form, they send it to the cops, they check you out and you're cleared or not.

Then you have to watch the "never ever touch a student" video and your home free.

[KirstenMary]

Originally Posted by 2cutiekitties

^^ what exactly do they do for a background check?

Probably a CORI.

[phrogger]

nak

OP not only do we have to do what you mntioned, we also have to take a class on how to be a volunteer.

I am a county employee, I work for the county school district and can work in any school in any district in my county. My first assignment was a student at my sons school. I was at this exact school for weeks and was allowed to be completely alone with any kid, but particularly special needs kids. I however have to jump threw hoops to grade papers in the class. I can totally see why parents don't do it. Oh and that is at a cost of $75. I have to pay. And to top it off, my oldest goes to a different district school and I have to do the same for his school, but they wont share the same information so I have to do the finger printing twice, but both schools are in the same county that I work for and both districts request me (or my co workers) to come and impliment behavior plans, but I can't help out. It is such a pain.

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by 2cutiekitties

^^ what exactly do they do for a background check?

They give you a form, and then you fill it out and take it to the police station. I think dh had to be fingerprinted, but I can't remember for sure. I didn't get the same check, because I wasn't working directly with the kids. Then, they turn the form into the Scouts headquarters and you wait to hear if you passed.

Maybe it's not that big a hassle for some people, but dh and I didn't drive. Fitting it in was a hassle.

[amj'smommy]

just a CORI check here.... once it's on file you're good to go like pp's though I have lo's at home soI try to do at home things to help out and/or donate supplies since it's hard for me to actually get to go help out in class.

[jeteaa]

Our school require all this as well. WHY are you all complaining about it though??? Don't you want our schools to do their best to ensure that children are safe?

[Bluegoat]

Do the kids have to have a TB test before they attend? I have never heard of it around here for kids or volunteers. Do they still give TB shots? I thought in most places they didn't? If a parent has TB and the child has no immunity, would they stop the child from attending?

[phrogger]

Originally Posted by jeteaa

Our school require all this as well. WHY are you all complaining about it though??? Don't you want our schools to do their best to ensure that children are safe?

Not at the unreasonable expense, then in turn complain because they can't afford to hire aides anymore, yet they have no parental help because they make it difficult to obtain. There are many people who have the background checks, but they want it their way and at a high expense. And really, I am not too worried about classroom volunteers because our school wont even allow a non employee to ever be left alone with any child period. Which is funny considering I can for work in that school, but I can't even volunteer there.

[limabean]

Originally Posted by jeteaa

Our school require all this as well. WHY are you all complaining about it though??? Don't you want our schools to do their best to ensure that children are safe?

I've made it clear at least 3 times that it's not the policies (fingerprinting, etc.) I have a problem with, it's the fact that they don't make any attempt to streamline the cumbersome process. I'm not sure how you could think otherwise after reading my posts...

Bluegoat, yes, DS had to have a TB test as part of his admission paperwork.

[philomom]

Originally Posted by mamazee

We have to fill out a form authorizing a background check, but that's it.

It actually eases my fears to know that just anyone can't walk into the school and be with my kids.

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by jeteaa

Our school require all this as well. WHY are you all complaining about it though??? Don't you want our schools to do their best to ensure that children are safe?

I really don't care if volunteers at my child's school have background checks or not. It certainly doesn't make me feel that they're any safer. The volunteers aren't allowed to just walk off with someone else's child, and I think background checks generally just create a false feeling of security, anyway.

[CarrieMF]

In the 2 school divisions I work in neither one has staff do fingerprints, just a crimminal record check. We go to the station ourselves to do it.

I did find out that the 1 division does require a recent photo. I don't know if they'll use the ones that are being done next week or not.

[LynnS6]

Wow, that's extreme.

We have to fill out of a form for a background check. That's it. Furthermore, the background checks are good for 3 years, and if you've done one at another school (or are a licensed teacher), you don't have to do it.

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by One_Girl

If you are a regular volunteer you do have to go through those things at my dd's school, but if you just volunteer once in a while you don't. I would rather they were more stringent about letting parents volunteer because I don't like the idea of having my dd or my students sent off alone on a field trip with someone who has a history of violence against children. I think it is right to put children's safety first. I also don't see what shortage of money has to do with volunteering or why someone would laugh about their children's school having very little money to purchase material students need to learn. Schools follow mandatory safety regulations and they have no control over where the TB testing, photo id, and government run background checks are done. I think it mean spirited to laugh in a teacher's face just because you don't like that your school district takes measures to make sure kids are safe.

Anyone who has fulfilled the requirements to demonstrate that they won't harm children should be able to volunteer. The school district, instead of accepting the teacher certification which indicated that she'd had the proper background checks, decided to be stubborn about having new and duplicate information. That means it's likely that there is other administrative stupidity happening in the district, wasting time and money, and I would refuse to help that district out in any way.

Now, if a specific teacher had a need for help with supplies for the classroom, I'd probably help him/her get those materials. But I wasn't talking about the teachers, I was talking about the school district that clearly needs to fire an administrator or five and free up funds for people who can actually think to do their jobs.

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by Storm Bride

I really don't care if volunteers at my child's school have background checks or not. It certainly doesn't make me feel that they're any safer. The volunteers aren't allowed to just walk off with someone else's child, and I think background checks generally just create a false feeling of security, anyway.

In a club I'm in, the corporate office instituted background checks for people who do youth activities recently. This was widely viewed as idiotic because:
1. the person who caused the problems leading to the new rule didn't have anything in his background to check
2. there was already a rule in place that would have prevented the incidents, that is that there must be at least two adults present for youth activities.