APS visitor policy - does it really prevent parents from attending school events without background check?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My understanding is that you aren't required to take the training for an all parent-type event like a band concert, chorus concert or whole class presentation where all the parents come. You're only required to take the training if you're volunteering.

We have grandparents coming to watch a class presentation in the gym today and they certainly haven't taken any training.

Same here. Volunteer— need training. Visitor— don’t. Where does it state that visiting is a one-time thing? That’s not how it works at our APS elementary.

I think the question is whether the parent or visitor plans to be in the classroom or not and whether they will be interacting with children or just standing by a wall like a fly. My understanding is that if an adult is going to be in a classroom with children, their own or not, they should take the training.

I think OP just needs to reverse the situation and think about another adult entering their child's classroom "one-time", and having that adult interact with their child without you being there to see what they say or do. Granted, most visitors are totally fine but unless you want to restrict all adults from entering the school, just take the training so the rest of us can volunteer/visit peacefully.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My understanding is that you aren't required to take the training for an all parent-type event like a band concert, chorus concert or whole class presentation where all the parents come. You're only required to take the training if you're volunteering.

We have grandparents coming to watch a class presentation in the gym today and they certainly haven't taken any training.

Same here. Volunteer— need training. Visitor— don’t. Where does it state that visiting is a one-time thing? That’s not how it works at our APS elementary.

I think the question is whether the parent or visitor plans to be in the classroom or not and whether they will be interacting with children or just standing by a wall like a fly. My understanding is that if an adult is going to be in a classroom with children, their own or not, they should take the training.

I think OP just needs to reverse the situation and think about another adult entering their child's classroom "one-time", and having that adult interact with their child without you being there to see what they say or do. Granted, most visitors are totally fine but unless you want to restrict all adults from entering the school, just take the training so the rest of us can volunteer/visit peacefully.

OP here - OK, I thought about it. And don't see any reason why I should be concerned more than I should be concerned about that same adult after said adult has went through Raptor and watched the video (which is utterly useless, let's be honest about that). The fact that a person is not on a sex offender registry now does not mean they have no issues and a video is not going to suddenly change the mind of a pervert. The risk is always there. Certain level of risk you accept when you allow your child to attend school. The one time adult would not be there alone, there would be the teacher in the classroom at a minimum (and at an event like this at least several other adults).

I can understand the concern when we are talking about a field trip offsite or someone my child would be having regular interactions with throughout the year. But a passing interaction with an adult they will likely never see again? This is paranoia.

But again - this is going to debating the policy, while my question is first to be clear on what the actual policy is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My understanding is that you aren't required to take the training for an all parent-type event like a band concert, chorus concert or whole class presentation where all the parents come. You're only required to take the training if you're volunteering.

We have grandparents coming to watch a class presentation in the gym today and they certainly haven't taken any training.

Same here. Volunteer— need training. Visitor— don’t. Where does it state that visiting is a one-time thing? That’s not how it works at our APS elementary.

I think the question is whether the parent or visitor plans to be in the classroom or not and whether they will be interacting with children or just standing by a wall like a fly. My understanding is that if an adult is going to be in a classroom with children, their own or not, they should take the training.

That is how the school is interpreting it, but looks like they are making it up. Finally found actual definitions under the policy of who is a volunteer and who is a visitor...

A volunteer is an unpaid individual working under employee supervision, who donates their time,
either only one time not occurring due to a special event or on an ongoing basis, to assist with
activities that enhance instruction and promote learning.

Visitors who are at a school to assist with a special event, or a parent, guardian or family member
attending a special event and/or visiting their child, are not required to complete a volunteer
application or undergo a volunteer screening since they are considered one-time visitors attending
an event. Examples of special events include, but are not limited to the following: sporting events,
school assemblies, book read-alouds, etc. All visitors must adhere to the visitor screening process
detailed in Policy Implementation Procedure E-3.31 PIP-5 Physical Security.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lodge a complaint with your boss for not letting you volunteer more in the classroom. It’s mid-April. This is the first time you’ve been to the school during the school day?

Seriously? This is helpful how?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That's not the point. The point are they really legally allowed to do that (in which case the law/policy is the problem)? Or are they making it up (in which case the school is the problem) For regular volunteers I can understand the requirement. For a parent coming to school once in a blue moon this is an overreach in my opinion. Why do I have to "learn" to jump through additional hoops with no reasonable rationale for it. Who know what they will come up with next - mentality of just complying with everything that gets thrown at you without any critical thinking is not the way to go.

To be frank, an adult volunteering in the classroom or going on fields trips needs to have a background and fingerprint check. I dont know you.

Once in a blue moon could be 3-4 a year. Thats not once. Second, it should be done when your kid enters the school and then you have 6 years of volunteering so it ends up being multiple times over the course of the year.

I had to pay 68 for a fingerprint and background check to do these things. Just like every adult in the school. If its too big a hump for you oh well.

Um, no. Every parent does not need to pay to have their fingerprints done and background checks to be able to volunteer. Especially to volunteer once.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve got lots of more worthy hills to die on.

Carrying a giant neon banner that says, “I cause shit at my kids’ school for no appreciable gain” is just not something I’m going to do…but you’re not me, so go forth on your quest.

+1

OP, you sound like you think you're taking a principled stand, but really, you are just making life harder for the people running the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m confused, were you volunteering or there to attend some all parent type event? I completed the training and I’m in the school regularly, my husband has not but has had no issue going to attend events.

It was an in-classroom event from the OP which is different IMO from a group gathering like a concert or school-wide event. If you are in the CLASSROOM you need to go through the process.

No. "Event" is different from classroom volunteer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My understanding is that you aren't required to take the training for an all parent-type event like a band concert, chorus concert or whole class presentation where all the parents come. You're only required to take the training if you're volunteering.

We have grandparents coming to watch a class presentation in the gym today and they certainly haven't taken any training.

Exactly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My understanding is that you aren't required to take the training for an all parent-type event like a band concert, chorus concert or whole class presentation where all the parents come. You're only required to take the training if you're volunteering.

We have grandparents coming to watch a class presentation in the gym today and they certainly haven't taken any training.

Same here. Volunteer— need training. Visitor— don’t. Where does it state that visiting is a one-time thing? That’s not how it works at our APS elementary.

I think the question is whether the parent or visitor plans to be in the classroom or not and whether they will be interacting with children or just standing by a wall like a fly. My understanding is that if an adult is going to be in a classroom with children, their own or not, they should take the training.

I think OP just needs to reverse the situation and think about another adult entering their child's classroom "one-time", and having that adult interact with their child without you being there to see what they say or do. Granted, most visitors are totally fine but unless you want to restrict all adults from entering the school, just take the training so the rest of us can volunteer/visit peacefully.

so if the exact same event were in the cafeteria or gymnasium, they don't need official volunteer training?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My understanding is that you aren't required to take the training for an all parent-type event like a band concert, chorus concert or whole class presentation where all the parents come. You're only required to take the training if you're volunteering.

We have grandparents coming to watch a class presentation in the gym today and they certainly haven't taken any training.

Same here. Volunteer— need training. Visitor— don’t. Where does it state that visiting is a one-time thing? That’s not how it works at our APS elementary.

I think the question is whether the parent or visitor plans to be in the classroom or not and whether they will be interacting with children or just standing by a wall like a fly. My understanding is that if an adult is going to be in a classroom with children, their own or not, they should take the training.

I think OP just needs to reverse the situation and think about another adult entering their child's classroom "one-time", and having that adult interact with their child without you being there to see what they say or do. Granted, most visitors are totally fine but unless you want to restrict all adults from entering the school, just take the training so the rest of us can volunteer/visit peacefully.

OP here - OK, I thought about it. And don't see any reason why I should be concerned more than I should be concerned about that same adult after said adult has went through Raptor and watched the video (which is utterly useless, let's be honest about that). The fact that a person is not on a sex offender registry now does not mean they have no issues and a video is not going to suddenly change the mind of a pervert. The risk is always there. Certain level of risk you accept when you allow your child to attend school. The one time adult would not be there alone, there would be the teacher in the classroom at a minimum (and at an event like this at least several other adults).

I can understand the concern when we are talking about a field trip offsite or someone my child would be having regular interactions with throughout the year. But a passing interaction with an adult they will likely never see again? This is paranoia.

But again - this is going to debating the policy, while my question is first to be clear on what the actual policy is.

OP - you're not off-base. You interpreted the policy correctly. Your school administration/staff did not and was being ignorant.
It's hard to be shocked by any comments on DCUM; yet I am utterly shocked by the hostility your very legitimate and rational inquiry engendered. I don't know who refused you entry; but I would certainly have a discussion with the principal - even if that's who denied you admittance. Bring a copy of the policy with you. And have them define "volunteer" and "visitor."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve got lots of more worthy hills to die on.

Carrying a giant neon banner that says, “I cause shit at my kids’ school for no appreciable gain” is just not something I’m going to do…but you’re not me, so go forth on your quest.

+1

OP, you sound like you think you're taking a principled stand, but really, you are just making life harder for the people running the school.

I agree this is not a hill to die on, but a question worth raising nevertheless.

How is this making their life harder, though? If they are currently doing more screening than actually required, won't it make their life easier if they have to screen less and have less conversation with aggrieved parents who can't visit their child's school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My understanding is that you aren't required to take the training for an all parent-type event like a band concert, chorus concert or whole class presentation where all the parents come. You're only required to take the training if you're volunteering.

We have grandparents coming to watch a class presentation in the gym today and they certainly haven't taken any training.

Same here. Volunteer— need training. Visitor— don’t. Where does it state that visiting is a one-time thing? That’s not how it works at our APS elementary.

I think the question is whether the parent or visitor plans to be in the classroom or not and whether they will be interacting with children or just standing by a wall like a fly. My understanding is that if an adult is going to be in a classroom with children, their own or not, they should take the training.

I think OP just needs to reverse the situation and think about another adult entering their child's classroom "one-time", and having that adult interact with their child without you being there to see what they say or do. Granted, most visitors are totally fine but unless you want to restrict all adults from entering the school, just take the training so the rest of us can volunteer/visit peacefully.

OP here - OK, I thought about it. And don't see any reason why I should be concerned more than I should be concerned about that same adult after said adult has went through Raptor and watched the video (which is utterly useless, let's be honest about that). The fact that a person is not on a sex offender registry now does not mean they have no issues and a video is not going to suddenly change the mind of a pervert. The risk is always there. Certain level of risk you accept when you allow your child to attend school. The one time adult would not be there alone, there would be the teacher in the classroom at a minimum (and at an event like this at least several other adults).

I can understand the concern when we are talking about a field trip offsite or someone my child would be having regular interactions with throughout the year. But a passing interaction with an adult they will likely never see again? This is paranoia.

But again - this is going to debating the policy, while my question is first to be clear on what the actual policy is.

OP - you're not off-base. You interpreted the policy correctly. Your school administration/staff did not and was being ignorant.
It's hard to be shocked by any comments on DCUM; yet I am utterly shocked by the hostility your very legitimate and rational inquiry engendered. I don't know who refused you entry; but I would certainly have a discussion with the principal - even if that's who denied you admittance. Bring a copy of the policy with you. And have them define "volunteer" and "visitor."

Thank you. You made my day brighter

[Anonymous]

I’m going to make a huge assumption here, but I’m going to guess that OP tried to sign in as a volunteer as opposed to visitor – the system will automatically flag you if you put in volunteer and do not have the appropriate training. If she had just put visitors, she would not have been flagged… They do not require parents to be, trained to go to a classroom party/function, only if they are volunteering in a capacity where they could be alone with students

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve got lots of more worthy hills to die on.

Carrying a giant neon banner that says, “I cause shit at my kids’ school for no appreciable gain” is just not something I’m going to do…but you’re not me, so go forth on your quest.

+1

OP, you sound like you think you're taking a principled stand, but really, you are just making life harder for the people running the school.

OP has a legitimate question. Expecting all individuals to wait for a background check and to take a stupid, worthless online video tutorial to attend a classROOM event is ridiculous and only results in parents not being able to attend such events - as visitors! spectators! not volunteers!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m going to make a huge assumption here, but I’m going to guess that OP tried to sign in as a volunteer as opposed to visitor – the system will automatically flag you if you put in volunteer and do not have the appropriate training. If she had just put visitors, she would not have been flagged… They do not require parents to be, trained to go to a classroom party/function, only if they are volunteering in a capacity where they could be alone with students

The assumption is incorrect. I didn't even get to that stage. They had a list of people who had volunteer clearance they were cross-checking against and if you weren't on it, you were not allowed to the next stage.